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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Lancaster County

Pennsylvania · 552,984 residents · 944 sq mi
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The short version

Lancaster County is a county of 552,984 people in Pennsylvania. The foreign-born share is 5%. 82,326 more people live here than in 2000. 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Poverty is uncommon here, at 9.1% of people here. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $218,700.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.3
US median: 38.8
Average education
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
552,984
+17%since 2000
from 470,658 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.3
+9%since 2000
from 36.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
944 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
409K450K490K531K571K19902000201020202024Lancaster County
2024558K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.2%(34,100)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.4%(35,409)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.6%(36,529)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.7%(36,859)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(35,824)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.6%(69,423)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.4%(63,091)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.3%(62,757)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.2%(72,858)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.5%(57,897)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.9%(32,661)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.8%(15,576)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$69,588
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,507 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,568
+65%since 2000
from $20,398 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
46.3%
+14.0 ptssince 2009
from 32.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
9.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade15%
US avg: 10%
Information11.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade8.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services5.3%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration3.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.2%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction2.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$218,700
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $118,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,050
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $572 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
67.3%
−3.5 ptssince 2000
from 70.8% in 2000
32.7% rent
Persons per household
2.61 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.59 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.1
−3%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic89.3%(420,366)
Black2.5%(11,837)
Hispanic / Latino5.7%(26,742)
Asian1.4%(6,723)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic79.7%(440,613)
Black3.5%(19,536)
Hispanic / Latino11.1%(61,171)
Asian2.5%(13,939)
Other2.3%(12,621)
Segregation Score
44
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican6.8%(36,788)
Mexican1%(5,214)
Dominican0.9%(5,064)
South American0.8%(4,204)
Central American0.6%(3,016)
Colombian0.4%(2,407)
Cuban0.3%(1,857)
Guatemalan0.2%(1,008)
Nicaraguan0.1%(735)
Salvadoran0.1%(572)
Peruvian0.1%(545)
Spaniard0.1%(524)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(462)
Costa Rican0.1%(275)
Panamanian0%(232)
Uruguayan0%(224)
Chilean0%(196)
Honduran0%(194)
Argentine0%(159)
Venezuelan0%(154)
Bolivian0%(57)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.6%(3,218)
Chinese0.4%(2,275)
Asian Indian0.4%(2,122)
Filipino0.2%(1,117)
Korean0.1%(594)
Bhutanese0.1%(533)
Burmese0.1%(363)
Cambodian0.1%(320)
Nepalese0.1%(318)
Laotian0%(262)
Japanese0%(221)
Pakistani0%(192)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(140)
Hmong0%(83)
Taiwanese0%(55)
Malaysian0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(159)
Chamorro0%(38)
Ancestry
German31.5%(170,801)
Irish10.2%(55,642)
English6.9%(37,630)
American6.2%(33,932)
Italian5.8%(31,501)
Swiss3.4%(18,712)
Polish2.9%(15,603)
French1.5%(8,408)
Scottish1.5%(7,880)
Dutch1.2%(6,356)
Welsh1.1%(5,882)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(5,705)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.8%(4,116)
British0.7%(3,625)
Russian0.6%(3,078)
Greek0.6%(3,049)
Norwegian0.5%(2,471)
Ukrainian0.4%(2,269)
Hungarian0.4%(2,035)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,848)
Slovak0.3%(1,654)
Ethiopian0.3%(1,473)
West Indian0.2%(1,202)
French Canadian0.2%(1,179)
Austrian0.2%(1,033)
Croatian0.2%(1,018)
Portuguese0.2%(837)
Czech0.1%(804)
Romanian0.1%(729)
Egyptian0.1%(657)
Jamaican0.1%(617)
Canadian0.1%(607)
Danish0.1%(585)
Latvian0.1%(516)
Iraqi0.1%(402)
Lebanese0.1%(329)
Slovene0.1%(320)
Finnish0.1%(317)
Nigerian0.1%(289)
Belgian0%(217)
Haitian0%(197)
Armenian0%(187)
Serbian0%(168)
Australian0%(155)
Israeli0%(133)
Somali0%(112)
Iranian0%(92)
Turkish0%(89)
Barbadian0%(87)
Arab0%(78)
Guyanese0%(66)
Brazilian0%(62)
Bulgarian0%(50)
Syrian0%(43)
Moroccan0%(21)
Jordanian0%(19)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
28.6%
+8.0 ptssince 2000
from 20.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
85.6%
+8.3 ptssince 2000
from 77.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
10.2%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.6 min
+67%since 2000
from 14.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
76.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
9.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.6%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
66.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2011
from 67.0% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.1%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
35.7%
+5.1 ptssince 2009
from 30.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
51.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
5.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2013
from 13.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.6%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
88.5%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married30.9%(67,743)
Married59.3%(130,134)
Widowed2.7%(5,978)
Divorced7.1%(15,685)
Women 15+
Never married27.7%(64,104)
Married54.3%(125,792)
Widowed9.2%(21,410)
Divorced8.8%(20,491)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
11.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2013
from 13.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
57.4%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
14.4%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
18.7%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
16.1%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.9%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
69.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
32.8%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)13.7%(3,781)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.2%(4,184)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era35.9%(9,887)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War10.3%(2,848)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II5%(1,365)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 27,568 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Head to head

Compare Lancaster County to nearby counties

LANCASTER COUNTY VS
Lebanon County
Income$78,425+13%
Home value$242,000+11%
Population146,380−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LANCASTER COUNTY VS
York County
Income$84,829+22%
Home value$248,600+14%
Population473,197−16%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LANCASTER COUNTY VS
Chester County
Income$127,208+83%
Home value$485,600+122%
Population557,116−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LANCASTER COUNTY VS
Berks County
Income$79,777+15%
Home value$257,300+18%
Population440,072−22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has about 552,984 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?

The typical household in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania earns about $69,588 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lancaster County, Pennsylvania expensive?

In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $218,700, and the typical rent is about $1,050 a month.

How educated are people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?

About 28.6% of adults age 25 and over in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?

About 9.1% of people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lancaster County, Pennsylvania grown since 1990?

Yes, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has grown since 1990. The population has added about 130,162 residents, a change of about 31 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →