Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lancaster County, PA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 77% of counties in Pennsylvania
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 70% of counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 557,898 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 567.4 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.57% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 212,718 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lancaster County grew by 11.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 557,898 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lancaster County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.9% of residents. That is 0.8 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 116,735 20.9% +0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 113,662 20.4% -0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 105,690 18.9% -1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 99,365 17.8% -1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Pennsylvania, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.9% of the people living in Lancaster County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 49.1% Pennsylvania 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lancaster County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lancaster County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,635 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.02% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lancaster County is about 12% higher than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $244,804 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,356 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.8% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lancaster County is about 15.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,356 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lancaster County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.1 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,434 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.6% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,923 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,330 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Cameron County (11.4 min), Elk County (15.4 min), McKean County (15.9 min).
Slowest:
Pike County (32.5 min), Perry County (32.0 min), Carbon County (30.5 min).
The average commute time in Lancaster County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Pennsylvania.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lancaster County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.3% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.55 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Chester County (0.4), Montgomery County (0.4), Allegheny County (0.4).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.1), Mifflin County (0.2), Juniata County (0.2).
Health
Lancaster County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.0% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.7% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Montgomery County (0.8), Centre County (0.8), Chester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.8), Mifflin County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8).
Lancaster County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Lancaster County, PA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 557,898 residents against a local median of 432,828. Where Lancaster County, PA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 20% above the local median of $203,786 at $244,804.
The counties themselves spread $262,845 on median home price, so Lancaster County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lancaster County, PA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County, PA | 557,898 | $87,635 #3/6 | $244,804 #2/6 | 21.0 min #2/6 |
| Lebanon County, PA | 144,187 | $78,489 | $144,003 | 18.9 min |
| Berks County, PA | 432,828 | $80,413 | $191,878 | 21.4 min |
| York County, PA | 462,883 | $85,271 | $203,786 | 22.4 min |
| Chester County, PA | 543,223 | $127,033 | $226,626 | 23.3 min |
| Harford County, MD | 263,722 | $113,029 | $406,848 | 30.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
How many people live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
About 557,898 people live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 212,718 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Lancaster County, Pennsylvania mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has 567 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($244,804 against $87,635), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,356 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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