HomePennsylvaniaLancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 563,293 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 552,981, across 944 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Lancaster County
How many people live in Lancaster County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024557,931
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included126th of 3,222
Lancaster County is the 6th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable 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, July 1, 2024563,293
- Census 2020 base population552,981
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.86 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20243,119
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 1.86 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
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
- Tax returns filed by households leaving9,709
- Net household movement-502
- Adjusted gross income arriving$656.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-23.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$71,303
- Average income of a leaving household$70,009
- Largest single originYork County (792 households)
- Largest single destinationYork County (1,120 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Lebanon County | 383 | 637 | $23.3 m |
| Philadelphia County | 342 | 544 | $21.0 m |
| Montgomery County | 238 | 389 | $18.3 m |
| Cumberland County | 204 | 286 | $17.1 m |
Households arriving report $1,294 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is York County, 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 the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes7th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes150th of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Lancaster County
- Covered employment, annual average252,045
- Establishments reporting14,605
- Average annual pay$59,966
- Average weekly wage$1,153
- Health care and social assistance, employment43,677
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$62,809
- Manufacturing, employment37,215
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$70,706
- Retail trade, employment29,138
- Retail trade, average annual pay$36,953
- Accommodation and food services, employment20,463
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$24,175
- Construction, employment18,874
- Transportation and warehousing, employment14,031
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 43,677 | 1,486 | $62,809 |
| Manufacturing | 37,215 | 1,100 | $70,706 |
| Retail trade | 29,138 | 1,800 | $36,953 |
| Accommodation and food services | 20,463 | 1,096 | $24,175 |
| Construction | 18,874 | 1,930 | $77,616 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14,031 | 542 | $59,054 |
| Wholesale trade | 12,592 | 660 | $70,425 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 11,151 | 1,209 | $81,718 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 43,677 jobs, 17.3 percent of covered employment.
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. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lancaster County
Building permits in Lancaster County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,184
- Declared construction value permitted$307.3 m
- Single family units authorized755
- Multifamily units authorized429
- Multifamily share of units36.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$259,559
- Units authorized per 1,000 households5.6
Single-family homes are 63.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
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$1,346,500
- 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)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$402.6 m
The average approval of $524,209 sits well above the median of $200,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here 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
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.
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
- Borrower cities with recorded lending47
- Lancaster, approvals180
- Manheim, approvals33
- Elizabethtown, approvals29
- Ephrata, approvals22
- Lititz, approvals22
- Mount Joy, approvals14
| Borrower city | 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 |
| 39 other borrower cities | 131 | $76,868,300 |
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 boundary7
- 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 county 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 Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024557,931
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 563,293 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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 of 552,981, to 563,293 on July 1, 2024. 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 employment by industry in Lancaster County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 43,677 jobs, 17.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 252,045 jobs at an average annual pay of $59,966, or $1,153 a week. 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 totaling $238.0 m since FY2020, across 68 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 177 504 approvals worth $164.7 m since FY2010. 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 authorized 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 York County, with 792 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,303 against $70,009 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Lancaster County
Cities and places in Lancaster.
66 Census places lie wholly or partly in Lancaster County. All 66 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | city | 57,719 | 180 | 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 | 22 | 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 | 33 | 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 | 3 | 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 | None recorded | 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 24 of the county's 454 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Lancaster County, the largest being Nottingham (4), Holtwood (4), Narvon (3). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.