Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Among the top 14% of US counties for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade C, better than 26% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade F, better than 9% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 54% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 86% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 82% of US counties
- top 11% for violent crime
- top 13% for school quality
- bottom 2% for air quality
Lancaster County is a county in Pennsylvania with about 553,000 residents. It grades A for getting around and F for weather. Standout strengths include violent crime, school quality, and property crime. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and air quality.
Official websiteco.lancaster.pa.us (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Snowy
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
hot
warm
comf.
cold
v.cold
62%49%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.2 in3.1 in
humid 75%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$81k89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$48kbetter than 29% of US counties
Home Value$264k83rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 11% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 15% of US counties
Property Tax Rate1.48%better than 15% of US counties
Income Tax3.69%better than 76% of US counties
State 3.10% + Local 0.59%
Sales Tax6.34%better than 76% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden10.58%better than 31% of US counties
Unemployment3.4%better than 76% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)31°F40th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)75°F40th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation45.0 in54th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall23.6 inbetter than 36% of US counties
Sunny Days192 daysbetter than 12% of US counties
Summer Humidity65°Fbetter than 53% of US counties
Comfortable Days77 daysbetter than 44% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk95.0better than 5% of US counties
Air Quality58 AQIbetter than 2% of US counties
School Quality88.7better than 87% of US counties
Violent Crime182/100kbetter than 89% of US counties
Property Crime344/100kbetter than 82% of US counties
Community
Population553,20296th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.028th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.2851st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9727th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+1627th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)80.2%49th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.4%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)11.2%75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)2.4%86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)2.8%35th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 54% of US counties
Walkability7.2/20better than 79% of US counties
Airport Distance57 mibetter than 76% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access85.4%better than 63% of US counties
Amenities Nearby5.33better than 69% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 74% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lancaster County an affordable place to live?
- Lancaster County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $48k, better than 29% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Lancaster County?
- The median home value in Lancaster County is $264k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Lancaster County?
- Median household income in Lancaster County is $81k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Lancaster County?
- Median gross rent in Lancaster County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Lancaster County safe?
- Lancaster County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 182/100k (better than 89%). Property crime is 344/100k.
- What is the weather like in Lancaster County?
- Lancaster County averages 75°F in July and 31°F in January, with 45.0 in of annual precipitation and about 192 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Lancaster County?
- Public-school quality in Lancaster County is above average, scoring better than 87% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Lancaster County?
- The average one-way commute in Lancaster County is 24 min.
Other counties in Pennsylvania
Explore Pennsylvania
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)