Lancaster, PA
Census place 4241216 · pop 57,719
Served as the capital of the United States for a single day on September 27, 1777.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
48.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-2.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
20.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.55% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
50 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$63,690 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
29.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
89/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$219,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,538/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Lancaster: Crime, Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Lancaster, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Lancaster scores 48/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is homeownership. Pennsylvania overall ranks #37 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Lancaster, PA expensive to live in?
- Lancaster has a median home value of $219,500 and typical rent around $1,538/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Lancaster, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (48.6%) — 13/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Lancaster, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.8%) — 87/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Served as the capital of the United States for a single day on September 27, 1777.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.