Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The estimated population of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is 550,480 people, with a median age of 38.7.

We can look at the total population in Lancaster County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
550,480
+1.37%
+2.61%
2020
543,050
+0.38%
-
2019
540,999
+0.49%
-
2018
538,347
+0.35%
-
2017
536,494
 - -

Population of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
80.7%
82.7%
 -2.42%
Black/African American
3.3%
3.6%
 -8.33%
Native
0%
0.1%
 -100.00%
Hispanic
11.1%
10%
 +11.00%
Asian
2.3%
2.1%
 +9.52%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.2%
1.4%
 +57.14%
Other
0.3%
0.1%
 +200.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 38.7 0% 37.9 +1.07% 39.9 -0.5%
2020 38.7 +0.26% 37.5 +0.81% 40.1 +0.25%
2019 38.6 0% 37.2 +0.27% 40 0%
2018 38.6 +0.26% 37.1 +0.27% 40 +0.5%
2017 38.5 - 37 - 39.8 -

The median age of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 37,043 -3.39% 35,590 -2.04% 35,799 34,860
10 to 19 36,306 +5.92% 34,463 +3.7% 38,480 35,741
20 to 29 35,441 -1.5% 35,635 -1.84% 34,908 34,987
30 to 39 31,448 +8.01% 31,745 +7.79% 34,033 34,285
40 to 49 31,244 +0.29% 32,058 -2.34% 31,307 31,304
50 to 59 35,979 -3% 36,909 -3.41% 34,886 35,664
60 to 69 29,047 +11.23% 31,522 +8.29% 32,443 34,206
70+ 26,178 +11.41% 35,886 +6.61% 29,286 38,291

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is $73,688.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Lancaster County.

  • Under 25
    $46,953.00
  • 25 to 44
    $80,727.00
  • 45 to 64
    $89,635.00
  • 65 and over
    $53,668.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Lancaster County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Lancaster County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is currently $93,619.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

7.07% of households in Lancaster County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Lancaster County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    12.66%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    18.81%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.41%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    15.40%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    19.42%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.23%
  • $200,000 or more
    7.07%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Lancaster County is $35,609.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Lancaster County by the total population of Lancaster County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Lancaster County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.87%
  • Bachelor's degree
    30.05%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    8.03%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    46.70%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.36%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Lancaster County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Lancaster County over the age of 16 is 434,544.

Of those people, a total of 66.50% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Lancaster County is 64.20%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 28,944 60.10% 8.80%
20 to 24 years 33,766 79.60% 7.30%
25 to 29 years 36,129 85.40% 3.50%
30 to 34 years 35,713 83.70% 3.30%
35 to 44 years 63,985 85.40% 2.50%
45 to 54 years 64,780 83.90% 2.10%
55 to 59 years 37,001 80.90% 2.60%
60 to 64 years 35,307 66.50% 2.10%
65 to 74 years 55,381 32.80% 2.70%
75 years and over 43,538 7.40% 2.70%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Lancaster County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 380,045 66.00% 3.00%
Black or African American 16,500 70.20% 7.20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 522 78.00% 2.20%
Asian 10,196 69.50% 1.90%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 129 82.20% 0.00%
Other 13,478 67.40% 7.50%
Two or more races 13,674 71.50% 6.90%
Hispanic or Latino 41,995 70.10% 6.40%
Not Hispanic or Latino 360,331 65.80% 2.90%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Lancaster County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Lancaster County is 278,774, with median earnings of $41,313.00.

Women in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania earning approximately 62.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 278,774 $41,313.00
Male 151,457 $50,975.00
Female 127,317 $31,827.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 28,831 $72,395.00
Business and Financial 14,252 $61,769.00
Computer and Mathematical 5,623 $59,762.00
Architecture and Engineering 4,649 $78,337.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 2,336 $68,167.00
Community and Social Service 5,541 $43,036.00
Legal 1,653 $73,672.00
Educational and Library 15,119 $50,847.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 5,081 $40,503.00
Healthcare Practitioners 18,268 $54,698.00
Healthcare Support 8,087 $25,145.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,618 $32,432.00
Law Enforcement 1,575 $70,179.00
Food Preparation and Serving 14,843 $11,674.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 9,825 $21,660.00
Personal Care and Service 6,358 $17,665.00
Sales 27,169 $31,649.00
Office and Administrative Support 29,944 $35,721.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 2,297 $31,573.00
Construction and Extraction 16,278 $48,953.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 10,037 $52,281.00
Production 22,899 $39,805.00
Transportation and Material Moving 11,569 $41,091.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 19,157 $77,343.00 9,674 $60,733.00
Business and Financial 6,963 $72,351.00 7,289 $53,774.00
Computer and Mathematical 4,331 $64,502.00 1,292 $55,364.00
Architecture and Engineering 4,053 $80,578.00 596 $58,421.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,380 $70,417.00 956 $62,857.00
Community and Social Service 2,004 $53,025.00 3,537 $35,252.00
Legal 760 $145,458.00 893 $53,260.00
Educational and Library 4,213 $66,010.00 10,906 $38,809.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 2,831 $46,306.00 2,250 $33,342.00
Healthcare Practitioners 4,060 $81,196.00 14,208 $50,271.00
Healthcare Support 1,291 $27,676.00 6,796 $24,246.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,177 $33,276.00 441 $11,705.00
Law Enforcement 1,317 $78,281.00 258 $39,393.00
Food Preparation and Serving 6,063 $12,324.00 8,780 $11,223.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 6,270 $30,976.00 3,555 $15,121.00
Personal Care and Service 1,280 $22,697.00 5,078 $17,222.00
Sales 13,210 $52,903.00 13,959 $18,841.00
Office and Administrative Support 7,189 $45,588.00 22,755 $33,809.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 1,492 $40,013.00 805 $21,109.00
Construction and Extraction 15,878 $49,708.00 400 $13,849.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 9,714 $52,615.00 323 $35,986.00
Production 16,425 $47,316.00 6,474 $27,010.00
Transportation and Material Moving 9,713 $44,838.00 1,856 $23,912.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 207,291 households in Lancaster County, with an average household size of 2.6 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 145,256 families in Lancaster County with an average family size of 3.11 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 117,575 8,572 19,109 62,035
Average Household Size 3.17 2.98 3.29 1.25
Total Families 117,575 8,572 19,109 0
Average Household Size 3.15 2.64 3.03 0

Poverty

Of the 145,256 families in Lancaster County, 5.30% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Lancaster County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 215,288 housing units in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 207,291 96.29%
Vacant 7,997 3.71%

28.08% of the total 215,288 housing units in Lancaster County are rental units. This is approximately 60,449 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 144,547 are occupied by the owner - or 67.14% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Lancaster County is $1,114.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Lancaster County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    2,295
  • Less than $500
    2,867
  • $500 to $999
    20,895
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    25,178
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    7,556
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    2,295
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    727
  • $3,000 or more
    931

Property Value

The median value of a property in Lancaster County is $229,300.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Lancaster County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    5,535
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    6,454
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    15,552
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    28,405
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    49,919
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    28,834
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    7,103
  • $1,000,000 or more
    2,745

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Lancaster County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Lancaster County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    43,496
  • 1940 to 1949
    9,502
  • 1950 to 1959
    20,299
  • 1960 to 1969
    17,914
  • 1970 to 1979
    26,297
  • 1980 to 1989
    30,656
  • 1990 to 1999
    28,828
  • 2000 to 2009
    23,945
  • 2010 to 2013
    14,016
  • 2014 or later
    335

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Lancaster County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    19,411
  • 1 vehicle available
    59,211
  • 2 vehicles available
    81,688
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    46,981

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Lancaster County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Lancaster County that commute to work in a particular way.

23.3 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Lancaster County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    9,553
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    28,839
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    37,868
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    41,275
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    40,522
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    19,687
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    28,954
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    7,118
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    8,185
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    15,299
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    9,119
  • 90 or more minutes
    5,148

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

We have data for 84 places in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.