Lancaster, CA

Census Place

2024 Population

169,169

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

34.5

0.877% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

15.6%

0.634% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$81,511

7.13% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$446,600

Population & Diversity

Lancaster, CA is home to a population of 169k people, from which 93.3% are citizens.

As of 2024, 15.4% of Lancaster, CA residents were born outside of the country (26.1k people).

In 2024, there were 1.22 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (39.7k people) in Lancaster, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 32.7k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 32.4k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.3%

2024 Citizenship

94.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.3% of Lancaster, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lancaster, CA was 94.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lancaster, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lancaster, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
39.7k ± 2.24k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
32.7k ± 3.06k
Other (Hispanic)
32.4k ± 2.45k

48.2%

Hispanic Population

81.5k people

48.2% of the people in Lancaster, CA are hispanic (81.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lancaster, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,877,888 ± 45,899 people
Philippines
827,719 ± 22,100 people
China
695,724 ± 20,296 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,877,888 California residents, followed by Philippines with 827,719 and China with 695,724.

Foreign-Born Population

15.4%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

26.1k people

13.9%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

23.6k people

As of 2024, 15.4% of Lancaster, CA residents (26.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lancaster, CA was 13.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lancaster, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
2,564 ± 481
Vietnam
1,674 ± 303
Gulf War (1990s)
1,137 ± 280

Lancaster, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.53 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Lancaster, CA.

Economy

The economy of Lancaster, CA employs 67.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lancaster, CA were Health Care & Social Assistance (10,881 people), Educational Services (7,378 people), and Retail Trade (6,934 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($111,815), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($96,136), and Public Administration ($80,714).

Employment

Occupations

67.4k

2024 Value

± 2,491

2.29%

1 Year growth

± 5.21%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lancaster, CA grew at a rate of 2.29%, from 65.9k employees to 67.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lancaster, CA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,646 people), Sales & Related Occupations (5,631 people), and Management Occupations (4,873 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lancaster, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

67.4k

2024 Value

± 2,491

2.29%

1 Year growth

± 5.21%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lancaster, CA grew at a rate of 2.29%, from 65.9k employees to 67.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lancaster, CA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (10,881 people), Educational Services (7,378 people), and Retail Trade (6,934 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lancaster, CA, though some of these residents may live in Lancaster, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,900

Median earning men ± $3,353

$45,687

Median earning women ± $2,045

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($94,366), Information ($78,438), and Manufacturing ($78,234).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($70,172), Wholesale Trade ($66,039), and Manufacturing ($57,780).

Education

The student population of Lancaster, CA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 6,401 male students and 10,438 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lancaster, CA are Hispanic or Latino (3,081 and 63.1%), White (705 and 14.4%), Black or African American (557 and 11.4%), and Asian (255 and 5.22%).

The largest universities in Lancaster, CA by number of degrees awarded are Antelope Valley Community College District (3,287 and 67.1%), High Desert Medical College (1,017 and 20.8%), and Career Care Institute (317 and 6.47%).

The most popular majors in Lancaster, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (697 and 14.2%), Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (527 and 10.8%), and Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology (491 and 10%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $1,104 for in-state students and $9,528 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 16,839 students enrolled in Lancaster, CA, 38% men and 62% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 10,899 records, of which 62.4% were women and 37.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Social Sciences
365 degrees awarded
Biological & Physical Sciences
183 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
156 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Lancaster, CA was General Social Sciences with 365 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Lancaster, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Antelope Valley Community College District
3,287 degrees awarded
High Desert Medical College
1,017 degrees awarded
Career Care Institute
317 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Antelope Valley Community College District with 3,287 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 1,718 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lancaster, CA, which is 0.54 times less than the 3,183 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 3,081 degrees mean that there were 4.37 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 705 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($1,104) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($20) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($900) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lancaster, CA was $446,600 in 2024, which is 1.34 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $409,100 to $446,600, a 9.17% increase. The homeownership rate in Lancaster, CA is 60.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lancaster, CA have an average commute time of 30.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lancaster, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$446,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,728

$31,615

Median Property Taxes

±$1,325

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lancaster, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Lancaster, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

60.4%

Homeownership

2024

66.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 60.4% of the housing units in Lancaster, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lancaster, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$81,511

Median Household Income

± $3,094

52.4k

Number of Households

± 1,960

In 2024, the median household income of the 52.4k households in Lancaster, CA grew to $81,511 from the previous year's value of $76,083.

The following chart displays the households in Lancaster, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lancaster, CA is from California.

0.493

2024 Wage GINI in California

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

In 2024, the income inequality in California was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.424% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.1%)
Carpooled (13.2%)
Worked At Home (9.81%)

In 2024, 72.1% of workers in Lancaster, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.2%) and those who worked at home (9.81%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lancaster, CA have a longer commute time (30.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 8.47% of the workforce in Lancaster, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lancaster, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lancaster, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lancaster, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lancaster, CA (25.5k out of 164k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lancaster, CA is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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