What it's like to live in Lancaster
Lancaster is a smaller city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lancaster deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a poverty rate above the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Lancaster compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lancaster
Based on Lancaster's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,480
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $49,600 a year
- 45% of Lancaster renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$43,900
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,950
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 12% below US
$1,240/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,240 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $219,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $219,500 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 14% above US
374 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1380/100k · Lancaster Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°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
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 5.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 18% below US
29% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 29%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 (26 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lancaster's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,240/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget.
Other places near Lancaster
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