What it's like to live in Ephrata
Ephrata is a small city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Ephrata deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Ephrata compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Ephrata
Based on Ephrata's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,286
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,720 a year
- 39% of Ephrata renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$44,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,440
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 19% below US
$1,143/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,143 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $224,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $224,400 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lancaster County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lancaster County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 69% below US
122 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 1300/100k · Ephrata Police Department · 2020 data
Getting around▼ 13% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 36% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Appalachian National Scenic Trail (21 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Ephrata's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,143/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
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