Lancaster, PA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
557,931
US Senator
John Fetterman
Democratic Party
US Senator
Dave McCormick
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
39.4
0.767% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
8.19%
5.84% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$86,959
3.89% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$301,100
7.77% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
281,193
0.4% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Lancaster, PA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.8% of the residents in Lancaster, PA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lancaster, PA are Millersville University of Pennsylvania (1,613 degrees awarded in 2023), Franklin and Marshall College (636 degrees), and Elizabethtown College (603 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Lancaster, PA was $301,100, and the homeownership rate was 69.8%.

Most people in Lancaster, PA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Lancaster, PA was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Jerry and Pat Donaho
United StatesPennsylvania

Population & Diversity

Lancaster, PA is home to a population of 558k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.55% of Lancaster, PA residents were born outside of the country (31k people).

In 2024, there were 21.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (441k people) in Lancaster, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 20.4k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 19.9k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%
2024 Citizenship
97.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.8% of Lancaster, PA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lancaster, PA was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lancaster, PA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    441k ± 949
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    20.4k ± 1.8k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    19.9k ± 1.82k
11.5%
Hispanic Population
64.3k people

In 2024, there were 21.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (441k people) in Lancaster, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 20.4k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 19.9k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

11.5% of the people in Lancaster, PA are hispanic (64.3k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Pennsylvania.
Most Common Origin
  1. India
    99,504 ± 7,715 people
  2. Dominican Republic
    93,569 ± 7,483 people
  3. China
    70,789 ± 6,514 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was India, the natal country of 99,504 Pennsylvania residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 93,569 and China with 70,789.

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Foreign-Born Population

5.55%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
31k people
5.4%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
30k people

As of 2024, 5.55% of Lancaster, PA residents (31k 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, PA was 5.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    8,460 ± 592
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    4,743 ± 530
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    3,570 ± 503

Lancaster, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.78 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Lancaster, PA employs 281k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lancaster, PA were Health Care & Social Assistance (43,416 people), Manufacturing (40,347 people), and Retail Trade (33,192 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($121,776), Utilities ($85,676), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($75,152).

Employment

Occupations

281k
2024 Value
± 4,310
0.4%
1 Year growth
± 2.15%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lancaster, PA grew at a rate of 0.4%, from 280k employees to 281k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lancaster, PA, are Management Occupations (30,611 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (29,593 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (24,711 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lancaster, PA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Pennsylvania (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

281k
2024 Value
± 4,310
0.4%
1 Year growth
± 2.15%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lancaster, PA grew at a rate of 0.4%, from 280k employees to 281k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lancaster, PA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (43,416 people), Manufacturing (40,347 people), and Retail Trade (33,192 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lancaster, PA, though some of these residents may live in Lancaster, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$60,168
Median earning men ± $822
$37,988
Median earning women ± $1,001

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($84,952), Public Administration ($77,323), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($72,547).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($58,624), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,866), and Construction ($51,798).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.
Y-Axis
2.78%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Pennsylvania. This represents a 2.78% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 18.1%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Pennsylvania.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 1,139
    Construction
  2. 1,034
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  3. 708
    Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $2.55M
    Manufacturing
  2. $2.32M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $1.53M
    Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing the state of Pennsylvania. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Pennsylvania is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Lancaster, PA. Showing the available data for Pennsylvania.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (50.4%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (48.7%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Jill Stein (0.491%)
    Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Pennsylvania for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Pennsylvania

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.
John Fetterman
Senator from Pennsylvania3
Assumed office on January 3, 2023
Dave McCormick
Senator from Pennsylvania1
Assumed office on January 3, 2025

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing Pennsylvania.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Pennsylvania over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Lancaster, PA awarded 4,806 degrees. The student population of Lancaster, PA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 7,366 male students and 10,294 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lancaster, PA are White (3,360 and 72.7%), Hispanic or Latino (466 and 10.1%), Black or African American (426 and 9.22%), and Unknown (124 and 2.68%).

The largest universities in Lancaster, PA by number of degrees awarded are Millersville University of Pennsylvania (1,613 and 33.6%), Franklin and Marshall College (636 and 13.2%), and Elizabethtown College (603 and 12.5%).

The most popular majors in Lancaster, PA are Registered Nursing (345 and 7.18%), General Business Administration & Management (247 and 5.14%), and General Biological Sciences (144 and 3%).

The median tuition costs in Lancaster, PA are $31,438 for private four year colleges, and $9,570 and $19,290 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Lancaster, PA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 59.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 17,660 (41.7% men and 58.3% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 17,660 students enrolled in Lancaster, PA, 41.7% men and 58.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 11,893 records, of which 58.7% were women and 41.3% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    204 degrees awarded
  2. General Biological Sciences
    144 degrees awarded
  3. Nursing School
    113 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lancaster, PA was General Business Administration & Management with 204 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Millersville University of Pennsylvania
    1,613 degrees awarded
  2. Franklin and Marshall College
    636 degrees awarded
  3. Elizabethtown College
    603 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Millersville University of Pennsylvania with 1,613 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,886 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lancaster, PA, which is 0.646 times less than the 2,920 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,360 degrees mean that there were 7.21 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 466 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($31,438) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,692) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Lancaster, PA was $301,100 in 2024, which is 0.905 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $279,400 to $301,100, a 7.77% increase. The homeownership rate in Lancaster, PA is 69.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lancaster, PA have an average commute time of 23.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lancaster, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$301,100
Median Property Value 2024
±$4,176
$148,550
Median Property Taxes
±$2,800

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, PA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

69.8%
Homeownership
2024
64.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 69.8% of the housing units in Lancaster, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 69.9%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$86,959
Median Household Income
± $1,323
213k
Number of Households
± 3,693

In 2024, the median household income of the 213k households in Lancaster, PA grew to $86,959 from the previous year's value of $83,703.

The following chart displays the households in Lancaster, PA 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lancaster, PA is from Pennsylvania.
0.463
2023 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania
0.466
2022 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2023, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.564% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Pennsylvania in comparison to the national average.

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

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (71.8%)
  2. Worked At Home (11.6%)
  3. Carpooled (10%)

In 2024, 71.8% of workers in Lancaster, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.6%) and those who carpooled to work (10%).

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.

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Commute Time

23.8 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lancaster, PA have a shorter commute time (23.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.22% of the workforce in Lancaster, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.19% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lancaster, PA (44.4k out of 542k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lancaster, PA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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.

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Health

88.8% of the population of Lancaster, PA has health coverage, with 48.5% on employee plans, 12.8% on Medicaid, 14.8% on Medicare, 12% on non-group plans, and 0.832% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Pennsylvania see 1,265 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,265 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1400 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 345 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.
1,265 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Pennsylvania

Primary care physicians in Pennsylvania see an average of 1,265 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,265 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Pennsylvania in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.6% under 18 years, 20.5% between 18 and 34 years, 35.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 19% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

11.2%
Uninsured
48.5%
Employer Coverage
12.8%
Medicaid
14.8%
Medicare
12%
Non-Group
0.832%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lancaster, PA grew by 1.37% from 11% to 11.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lancaster, PA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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