METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Lancaster Metro
Lancaster, PA · 1 counties · 552,984 residents · 944 sq mi
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The short version
Lancaster is a metro area of 552,984 people. 5% of residents were born outside the United States. 82,326 more people live here than in 2000. About 29% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The poverty rate is 9.1%, under the national 12.8%. The typical home is worth $218,700, having more than doubled since 2000.
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
Land area
944 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024558K
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.2%(34,100)
5 to 96.4%(35,409)
10 to 146.6%(36,529)
15 to 196.7%(36,859)
20 to 246.5%(35,824)
25 to 3412.6%(69,423)
35 to 4411.4%(63,091)
45 to 5411.3%(62,757)
55 to 6413.2%(72,858)
65 to 7410.5%(57,897)
75 to 845.9%(32,661)
85 and over2.8%(15,576)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$69,588
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,507 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
46.3%
+14.0 ptssince 2009
from 32.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade15%
Information11.9%
Wholesale trade8.4%
Other services5.3%
Finance & insurance5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
Public administration3.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.2%
Construction2.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$218,700
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $118,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
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)
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
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)
Subsaharan African0.7%(3,567)
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)
Palestinian0%(197)
Haitian0%(197)
Armenian0%(187)
Serbian0%(168)
Australian0%(155)
Israeli0%(133)
Somali0%(112)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(93)
Iranian0%(92)
Turkish0%(89)
Barbadian0%(87)
Arab0%(78)
Guyanese0%(66)
Brazilian0%(62)
Bulgarian0%(50)
Macedonian0%(44)
Syrian0%(43)
Moroccan0%(21)
Jordanian0%(19)
Ghanaian0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
85.6%
+8.3 ptssince 2000
from 77.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.1%
US average: 73.3%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
88.6%
US average: 91.9%
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
Direct-purchase
14.4%
US average: 13.7%
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)
Gulf War (1990s)15.2%(4,184)
Vietnam era35.9%(9,887)
Korean War10.3%(2,848)
World War II5%(1,365)
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
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
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Lancaster
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Modesto
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LANCASTER VS
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LANCASTER VS
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LANCASTER VS
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Home value$450,100+106%
Population557,719−1%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Lancaster, PA?
Lancaster, PA has about 552,984 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lancaster, PA?
The typical household in Lancaster, PA earns about $69,588 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 $218,700, and the typical rent is about $1,050 a month.
How educated are people in Lancaster, PA?
About 28.6% 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 9.1% 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 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 · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024