Moving to Lancaster
What you need to know before relocating to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Data-driven insights on housing, jobs, safety, and quality of life.
Is Lancaster a Good Place to Live?
Based on data across cost of living, job market, safety, and education, Lancaster compares favorably on multiple dimensions. Highlights include median household income ($80,067) exceeds the national median; low unemployment rate (2.9%) signals a strong job market; violent crime rate (266/100k) is well below the national average.
Lancaster at a Glance
Cost of Living in Lancaster
The median rent in Lancaster is $1,329/month, while the median home value is $306,900. With a median household income of $80,067, residents spend roughly 20% of monthly income on rent.
Overall, the Lancaster metro area is classified as average compared to other US metros.
Job Market
Lancaster has a median household income of $80,067, which is 7% above the national median. The local unemployment rate is 2.9%, compared to the national average of 3.7%.
Safety in Lancaster
The violent crime rate in Lancaster is 266 per 100,000 residents, which is 30% below the national average of 380.
Property crime rate: 1579 per 100,000 residents.
Education in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a high school graduation rate of 92% and per-pupil spending of $21,441/year. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1.
38% of Pennsylvania adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Healthcare Access
Pennsylvania has 328 physicians per 100,000 residents, a 5.9% uninsured rate, and 3.0 hospital beds per 1,000 people. Life expectancy in Pennsylvania is 77.6 years.
Pros and Cons of Living in Lancaster
+Pros
- ✓Median household income ($80,067) exceeds the national median
- ✓Low unemployment rate (2.9%) signals a strong job market
- ✓Violent crime rate (266/100k) is well below the national average
- ✓High school graduation rate of 92%
- ✓Low uninsured rate (5.9%) and good healthcare access
-Cons
- ✗Longer-than-average commute (246992 min)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lancaster a good place to live?⌄
Lancaster, Pennsylvania has several attributes that make it an attractive place to live, including median household income ($80,067) exceeds the national median and low unemployment rate (2.9%) signals a strong job market. It scores well on multiple quality-of-life metrics relative to the national average.
What is the cost of living in Lancaster?⌄
The median rent in Lancaster is $1,329/month and the median home value is $306,900. The median household income is $80,067. Overall the metro is considered average.
Is Lancaster safe?⌄
Lancaster has a violent crime rate of 266 incidents per 100,000 residents. The national average is approximately 380 per 100,000.
What is the job market like in Lancaster?⌄
Lancaster has an unemployment rate of 2.9%, compared to the national average of 3.7%. The median household income is $80,067.