Lancaster, California
Among the top 5% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 95% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 9% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 66% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 30% of US places
- top 1% for summer humidity
- top 2% for sunny days
- bottom 3% for income tax
Lancaster is a city in California with about 171,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include summer humidity, sunny days, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on estimated total tax burden and income tax.
Official websitecityoflancasterca.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
cool
97%79%clearovercast
Precipitation 1.5 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$71k63rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$66kbetter than 7% of US places
Home Value$369k84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 14% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 19% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.92%better than 55% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden20.99%better than 4% of US places
Unemployment7.5%better than 22% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)45°F81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)82°F84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation7.9 in1st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days328 daysbetter than 98% of US places
Summer Humidity42°Fbetter than 99% of US places
Comfortable Days61 daysbetter than 14% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk74.3better than 36% of US places
Air Quality50 AQIbetter than 21% of US places
School Quality60.1better than 53% of US places
Violent Crime1780/100kbetter than 11% of US places
Property Crime1876/100kbetter than 22% of US places
Community
Population171,465100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age33.617th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.7399th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0157th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+455th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)25.7%9th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)20.7%90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)45.3%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)4.0%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.4%66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time31 minbetter than 21% of US places
Walkability10.2/20better than 87% of US places
Airport Distance55 mibetter than 65% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access87.8%better than 56% of US places
Amenities Nearby6.53better than 13% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 53% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lancaster an affordable place to live?
- Lancaster is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $66k, better than 7% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Lancaster?
- The median home value in Lancaster is $369k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Lancaster?
- Median household income in Lancaster is $71k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Lancaster?
- Median gross rent in Lancaster is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Lancaster safe?
- Lancaster is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1780/100k (better than 11%). Property crime is 1876/100k.
- What is the weather like in Lancaster?
- Lancaster averages 82°F in July and 45°F in January, with 7.9 in of annual precipitation and about 328 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Lancaster?
- Public-school quality in Lancaster is about average, scoring better than 53% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Lancaster?
- The average one-way commute in Lancaster is 31 min.
Other places in Los Angeles County
Places near Lancaster
Compare Lancaster
Explore California
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)