Lancaster, CA: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 173,516, making Lancaster the 158th-most populous city in the United States and the 31st most populous in California. Lancaster is a twin city with its southern neighbor Palmdale; together, they are the principal cities within the Antelope Valley region. Lancaster is located approximately 70 miles (110 km) north (via I-5 and SR 14) of downtown Los Angeles, 9 miles south of the Kern County line. It is separated from the Los Angeles Basin by the San Gabriel Mountains to the south and from Bakersfield an…

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From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Lancaster ranks

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#166Fastest growing in CA #119Most new homes in CA #245Most affordable in CA All CA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code93534, 93535, 93536

Area code661

Living in Lancaster

Housing in Lancaster

$462K▼ 0.6% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Lancaster home is worth about $462,000, down 0.6% in a year, 40% below the California typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market47

Sale-to-list100.3%

Sold in May134

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Lancaster

D

Safety Grade D

Lancaster reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 32%.

Violent crime per 1,000

Lancaster 7.7

California 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Lancaster 15.9

California 18.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Lancaster

Compared with California

1better than CA·20worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 11 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 4▼ 7 close Habits 3▼ 1 close Care 4▼ 3 close Mind 5▼ 0 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

5.3%Fewer adults who have had cancerCA 6.4% · better 22.2%More adults facing housing insecurityCA 14.9% · worse

Care nearby

Antelope Valley HospitalLancaster · 0.9 mi · ER

Bachc Kensington ShelterLancaster · 1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalShortage · part of Lancaster

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Lancaster · CMS · HRSAHealth in Lancaster →

Schools in Lancaster

All Lancaster schools →

C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Lancaster’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 63% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Lancaster’s schools compare in CA →

DistrictLancaster ElementarySchools56

Sundown ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 941 students Monte Vista ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 788 students iLEAD Lancaster CharterElementary · Grades K–8 · 771 students El Dorado ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 766 students Del Sur Senior ElementaryElementary · Grades K–8 · 763 students West Wind ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 757 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within CA. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from LancasterWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Lancaster.Meet them →