HomePennsylvaniaLancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has a population of 557,931 across 944 square miles, up 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $39.95 bn in 2024, 13,776 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 454 7(a) approvals worth $238.0 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Lancaster County
How many people live in Lancaster County
- Population557,931
- Households212,748
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$86,959
- Median age39.4
- Median gross rent$1,357 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$301,100
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over380,042
- Population under 18128,950
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over109,434
- Share 65 and over19.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64319,547
- Civilian labor force291,002
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.8 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties6th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents126th
Lancaster County is the 6th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.1 percent against 19.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lancaster County
Is Lancaster County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.86 percent
- Census 2020 base population552,981
- Births, 20246,865
- Deaths, 20245,464
- Natural change, 20241,401
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,241
- Net international migration, 20242,954
- Total net migration, 20241,713
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,606
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1216th
The county has grown 1.86 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lancaster County
Where are people moving to Lancaster County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving9,207
- People arriving, from those returns15,081
- Adjusted gross income arriving$656.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$71,303
- Largest single originLancaster County Non-migrants (225,576 households)
- Largest single destination (225,576 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County Non-migrants | 225,576 | 464,035 | $20.52 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,489 | 4,330 | $182.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,152 | 1,973 | $76.4 m |
| York County | 792 | 1,216 | $50.4 m |
| Chester County | 723 | 1,247 | $48.3 m |
| Berks County | 654 | 1,038 | $40.4 m |
| Dauphin County | 651 | 1,015 | $40.0 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 551 | 948 | $42.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lancaster County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lancaster County
What is the Lancaster County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$39.95 bn
- County GDP, 2023$38.00 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years32.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Pennsylvania counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents150th
- GDP per resident$71,606
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 32.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lancaster County
Largest employers in Lancaster County
- Covered employment, annual average252,045
- Establishments reporting14,605
- Average annual pay$59,966
- Average weekly wage$1,153
- Sector 62, employment43,677
- Sector 62, average annual pay$62,809
- Sector 31-33, employment37,215
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,706
- Sector 44-45, employment29,138
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,953
- Sector 72, employment20,463
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,175
- Sector 23, employment18,874
- Sector 48-49, employment14,031
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 43,677 | 1,486 | $62,809 |
| Sector 31-33 | 37,215 | 1,100 | $70,706 |
| Sector 44-45 | 29,138 | 1,800 | $36,953 |
| Sector 72 | 20,463 | 1,096 | $24,175 |
| Sector 23 | 18,874 | 1,930 | $77,616 |
| Sector 48-49 | 14,031 | 542 | $59,054 |
| Sector 42 | 12,592 | 660 | $70,425 |
| Sector 54 | 11,151 | 1,209 | $81,718 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 43,677 jobs, 17.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lancaster County
How many businesses are in Lancaster County?
- Establishments, all industries13,776
- Employment at those establishments249,379
- Annual payroll$13.83 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lancaster County
Building permits in Lancaster County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,184
- Declared construction value permitted$307.3 m
- Single family units authorised755
- Multifamily units authorised429
- Multifamily share of units36.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$259,559
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.6
Multifamily is 36.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lancaster County
SBA loans in Lancaster County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded454
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$238.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$524,209
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,360,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,808
- Jobs per approval10.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active68
- Distinct industries receiving approvals185
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms45
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter381
- Franchise loans74
- Franchise share of approvals16.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (21)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (62)
- 504 approvals recorded177
- 504 gross approval dollars$164.7 m
- Average 504 approval$930,254
- Median 504 approval$564,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval19.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.9
- Most active CDCEDC Finance Corporation (129)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals71.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$402.6 m
The average approval of $524,209 sits well above the median of $200,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 9.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lancaster County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Lancaster County
Do SBA loans in Lancaster County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded86
- Paid in full83
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans3.5 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure282
- Status: Cancelled62
- Status: Paid in full83
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed24
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 86 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Full-Service Restaurants carries the highest charge off rate at 0.0 percent.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lancaster County
SBA lending by place in Lancaster County
- Places in the county with recorded lending47
- Lancaster, approvals180
- MANHEIM, approvals33
- Elizabethtown, approvals29
- Ephrata, approvals22
- Lititz, approvals22
- MOUNT JOY, approvals14
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 180 | $95,746,900 |
| MANHEIM | 33 | $13,594,200 |
| Elizabethtown | 29 | $17,044,000 |
| Ephrata | 22 | $11,071,500 |
| Lititz | 22 | $10,372,900 |
| MOUNT JOY | 14 | $4,440,300 |
| COLUMBIA | 12 | $1,945,500 |
| STRASBURG | 11 | $6,907,400 |
Lancaster accounts for 180 approvals against 33 in MANHEIM. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lancaster County
How large is Lancaster County?
- Land area944 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties12th of 67
- Width, east to west44.9 mi
- Height, north to south41.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land591
- Establishments per square mile14.59
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lancaster County
Flood risk in Lancaster County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book58
- Of those, participating in the NFIP58
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Lancaster County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Lancaster County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Lancaster County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lancaster County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population557,931
- Households212,748
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$86,959
- Median age39.4
Common questions
Lancaster County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
557,931, in 212,748 households, ranking 6th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lancaster County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.86 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 6,865 births against 5,464 deaths, with net migration of 1,713. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lancaster County?
$86,959. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $301,100, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,357 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Lancaster County?
13,776 establishments, employing 249,379 people with an annual payroll of $13.83 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Lancaster County?
Average annual pay is $59,966, or $1,153 a week, across 252,045 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lancaster County?
454 7(a) approvals totalling $238.0 m since FY2020, across 68 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 177 504 approvals worth $164.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lancaster County get paid back?
Of the 86 loans that have reached a final outcome, 83 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 3.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Lancaster County?
1,184 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $307.3 m. Multifamily was 36.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lancaster County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lancaster County come from?
The largest single origin is Lancaster County Non-migrants, with 225,576 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,303 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lancaster County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lancaster County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Lancaster County
Cities and places in Lancaster.
66 Census places lie wholly or partly in Lancaster County. 66 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | city | 57,719 | 181 | Wholly in this county |
| Ephrata | borough | 13,772 | 22 | Wholly in this county |
| Elizabethtown | borough | 11,925 | 29 | Wholly in this county |
| Columbia | borough | 10,278 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Willow Street | CDP | 9,647 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Lititz | borough | 9,619 | 23 | Wholly in this county |
| Millersville | borough | 8,982 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Joy | borough | 8,344 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Leola | CDP | 7,448 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| New Holland | borough | 5,780 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Manheim | borough | 5,027 | 34 | Wholly in this county |
| East Petersburg | borough | 4,591 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Maytown | CDP | 4,443 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Akron | borough | 4,143 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Denver | borough | 3,771 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Brownstown | CDP | 3,650 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Reamstown | CDP | 3,468 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Salunga | CDP | 3,355 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Strasburg | borough | 3,109 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Mountville | borough | 3,004 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Bowmansville | CDP | 2,959 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Rothsville | CDP | 2,934 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Marietta | borough | 2,886 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Quarryville | borough | 2,856 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Rheems | CDP | 2,426 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Landisville | CDP | 2,168 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Reinholds | CDP | 2,168 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Lampeter | CDP | 2,140 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gap | CDP | 2,128 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Adamstown | borough | 2,023 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Swartzville | CDP | 1,799 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Intercourse | CDP | 1,588 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Morgantown | CDP | 1,381 | 11 | 11.6 percent here, 88.4 percent Berks County |
| Bainbridge | CDP | 1,376 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clay | CDP | 1,362 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Blue Ball | CDP | 1,284 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brickerville | CDP | 1,257 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Penryn | CDP | 1,257 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Conestoga | CDP | 1,243 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Paradise | CDP | 1,091 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| East Earl | CDP | 1,050 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Schoeneck | CDP | 1,018 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Terre Hill | borough | 1,004 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Christiana | borough | 998 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Fivepointville | CDP | 904 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Farmersville | CDP | 870 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stevens | CDP | 799 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Georgetown | CDP | 784 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Churchtown | CDP | 763 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hopeland | CDP | 760 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rohrerstown | CDP | 706 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Washington Boro | CDP | 663 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Soudersburg | CDP | 592 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cambridge | CDP | 576 | None recorded | 94.3 percent here, 5.7 percent Chester County |
| Wakefield | CDP | 573 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bird-in-Hand | CDP | 537 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Witmer | CDP | 527 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Falmouth | CDP | 521 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Little Britain | CDP | 439 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Smoketown | CDP | 342 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Refton | CDP | 321 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gordonville | CDP | 310 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Kirkwood | CDP | 307 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Goodville | CDP | 205 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ronks | CDP | 202 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Hinkletown | CDP | 181 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 18 SBA approvals in Lancaster County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Holtwood, Narvon, Peach Bottom. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.