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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

Lancaster Metro

Lancaster, PA · 1 counties · 519,445 residents · 944 sq mi
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The short version

Lancaster is a metro area of 519,445 people. 4% of residents were born outside the United States. About 23% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The poverty rate is 9.7%, under the national 13.8%. The typical home is worth $184,400, having risen by half since 2000. The population has held roughly steady since 2000.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 38.2
US median: 37.2
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
519,445
+10%since 2000
from 470,658 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
550 / sq mi
+10%since 2000
from 499 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
38.2
+6%since 2000
from 36.1 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
944 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
409K450K490K531K571K19902000201020202024Lancaster
2024558K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.8%(35,521)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.8%(35,446)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.8%(35,553)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 197.3%(38,100)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.7%(35,033)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3411.7%(60,990)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.2%(63,629)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5414.5%(75,401)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6411.9%(61,992)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747.4%(38,240)
US avg: 7%
75 to 845.1%(26,694)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.5%(12,846)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,765
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,507 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$25,854
+27%since 2000
from $20,398 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
32.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 32.4% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
9.7%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.415
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade18.1%
US avg: 10.9%
Information12.3%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade8.4%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services5%
US avg: 7%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing4.3%
US avg: 3.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 4.2%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction2.7%
US avg: 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$184,400
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $118,300 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$789
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $572 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
68.5%
−2.3 ptssince 2000
from 70.8% in 2000
31.5% rent
Vacancy rate
4.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.59 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.59 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
26.5%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 25.4% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 41.5% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.4
+4%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%
2010
White, non-Hispanic84.9%(440,969)
Black3.1%(16,087)
Hispanic / Latino8.6%(44,930)
Asian1.9%(9,726)
Other1.4%(7,425)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican5.5%(28,339)
Mexican0.8%(3,862)
South American0.5%(2,337)
Dominican0.4%(2,133)
Cuban0.3%(1,432)
Central American0.3%(1,296)
Colombian0.2%(1,041)
Guatemalan0.1%(642)
Ecuadorian0.1%(540)
Salvadoran0.1%(270)
Venezuelan0%(236)
Spaniard0%(188)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0%(157)
Argentine0%(151)
Honduran0%(107)
Uruguayan0%(89)
Chilean0%(72)
Bolivian0%(34)
Ancestry
German39.1%(199,969)
Irish11.4%(58,264)
English8.1%(41,461)
American7.6%(38,840)
Italian5.7%(29,172)
Swiss3.7%(18,762)
Polish2.8%(14,399)
Scotch-Irish1.9%(9,923)
French1.9%(9,761)
Dutch1.7%(8,724)
Scottish1.5%(7,438)
Welsh1.2%(5,976)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.9%(4,508)
Russian0.8%(3,855)
Greek0.5%(2,357)
Ukrainian0.4%(2,243)
Slovak0.4%(2,057)
British0.4%(2,017)
Norwegian0.4%(1,942)
French Canadian0.3%(1,722)
Austrian0.3%(1,684)
Hungarian0.3%(1,613)
Czech0.3%(1,436)
West Indian0.3%(1,292)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,288)
Arab0.2%(1,004)
Danish0.2%(788)
Haitian0.1%(673)
Canadian0.1%(569)
Romanian0.1%(468)
Lebanese0.1%(465)
Croatian0.1%(405)
Jamaican0.1%(402)
Portuguese0.1%(360)
Turkish0.1%(348)
Finnish0.1%(333)
Ethiopian0%(244)
Belgian0%(240)
Slovene0%(233)
Armenian0%(200)
Australian0%(176)
Egyptian0%(159)
Serbian0%(146)
Latvian0%(125)
Kenyan0%(122)
Syrian0%(112)
Moroccan0%(71)
Brazilian0%(44)
Barbadian0%(36)
Bulgarian0%(32)
Iranian0%(24)
Ghanaian0%(21)
Iraqi0%(16)
Jordanian0%(15)
Israeli0%(13)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
23.3%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 20.5% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
82.3%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 77.4% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
7.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.9 min
+55%since 2000
from 14.2 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
78.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 78.7% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
9.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
1.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
5.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
3.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
9.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
9.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
31.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 30.6% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
51.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
4.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
9.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
11.2%
−2.2 ptssince 2013
from 13.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
56.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 57.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.8%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
16.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
68.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 69.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 32.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)19.5%(4,743)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.6%(4,758)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.8%(8,944)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.3%(1,521)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(340)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 24,325 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
In this metro

Largest cities

LancasterCENTRAL58,366Ephrata13,647Elizabethtown11,961Columbia10,314Lititz9,689Willow Street9,647Millersville9,280Mount Joy8,319Leola7,448New Holland5,754Manheim4,977East Petersburg4,702Maytown4,443Akron4,093Denver3,747Brownstown3,650Reamstown3,468Salunga3,355Strasburg3,085Mountville2,977Bowmansville2,959Rothsville2,934Marietta2,931Quarryville2,871Rheems2,426Landisville2,168Reinholds2,168Lampeter2,140Gap2,128Swartzville1,799

The 30 most populous of 61 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

1 component county

Lancaster CountyCENTRAL563,159
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Lancaster

Reno
Pop 578,734
Huntsville
Pop 556,444
New Haven
Pop 578,741
Modesto
Pop 557,719
Places similar to Lancaster
Head to head

Compare Lancaster side by side

LANCASTER VS
Reno
Income$87,337+59%
Home value$520,025+182%
Population578,734+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LANCASTER VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881+57%
Home value$295,284+60%
Population556,444−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LANCASTER VS
New Haven
Income$88,197+61%
Home value$353,100+91%
Population578,741+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LANCASTER VS
Modesto
Income$81,468+49%
Home value$450,100+144%
Population557,719−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lancaster, PA?

Lancaster, PA has about 519,445 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lancaster, PA?

The typical household in Lancaster, PA earns about $54,765 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lancaster, PA expensive?

In Lancaster, PA, the median home is worth about $184,400, and the typical rent is about $789 a month.

How educated are people in Lancaster, PA?

About 23.3% of adults age 25 and over in Lancaster, PA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lancaster, PA?

About 9.7% of people in Lancaster, PA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lancaster, PA grown since 1990?

Yes, Lancaster, PA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 96,623 residents, a change of about 23 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Lancaster, PA (2010): population, income & housing data · CensusEasy