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Willow Street.

All Willow Street data Compare Willow Street

9,647people live here $109,675median household income▲ 36% above US $2,672median rent per month▲ 89% above US $314,700median home valueNear US average

Willow Street is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County, PA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Willow Street

Willow Street is an unincorporated community in Pennsylvania with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Willow Street deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.

The good

Low unemployment in the county
Higher-than-average incomes
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
Above-average commute times
Air quality concerns
High rent burden for renters
Cold winters
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Willow Street compares

Median household income

Willow Street$109,675

Pennsylvania avg$77,971

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Willow Street$2,672

Pennsylvania avg$1,209

US$1,413

Median home value

Willow Street$314,700

Pennsylvania avg$254,500

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Willow Street

Based on Willow Street's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$5,344

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $106,880 a year
62% of Willow Street renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$62,940

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $31,470
Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 89% above US

$2,672/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,672 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $314,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $314,700 · 62% 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

29 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Willow Street doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the West Lampeter Township Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

Property crime 427/100k · Policed by West Lampeter Township Police Department (township-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 14% above US

30 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 29.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

77%

Work from home

17%

Other

3.6%

Carpool

1.5%

Walk

0.5%

Public transit

0.4%

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

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 41% above US

51% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

1 public school inside the boundary

There is 1 public school inside the boundary and 1 private school.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Appalachian National Scenic Trail (31 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Willow Street's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($2,672/mo) equals 29% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

See all the data for Willow Street →·All Pennsylvania cities →