John Sherman Birthplace · National Register of Historic Places
Lancaster’s story
226 years in pictures
12 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1800Lancaster is settled
LancasterOH
A town of 41,249, settled in 1800. A typical home worth about $279K.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
41,249
+4.6% since 2010
Typical home
$279K
+3% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
37.4
years
Jobs based here
17,398
Balanced
What makes Lancaster stand out
The 3 things Lancaster does most differently from other towns.
$279Ktypical home
Housing
$279K typical home
12% above the OH typical home
Up 3% in a year.
John Sherman BirthplaceHistory
Settled in 1800
12 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 226 years.
Outdoors
#223 most walkable in OH
8.3 miles of trails across 19 parks and preserves
3% of the town is conserved land.
College town
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus calls Lancaster home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Lancaster’s report card
Housing$279K12% above the OH typical homeOutdoors8 mi#294 for trails in OHSafetyC−Less crime than 21% of U.S. townsHealthCHealthier than 26% of U.S. townsClimate85°/21°Summer high · winter low · 15″ snowCommute22 miHalf of commuters travel lessSchoolsC+Beats 43% of OH districtsHazards42/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Lancaster
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Lancaster is #971 of 1,022 in OH for “Closest to a top hospital”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Lancaster’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →72°
Clear
H 70° · L 47°
Local news
All →- Lancaster vs Away - Girls Varsity Basketball 12/26/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 25
- Lancaster vs Reynoldsburg - Girls Freshman Volleyball 09/23/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 23
- Lancaster vs Away - Girls Freshman Volleyball 09/16/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 16
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lancaster. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Lancaster home is worth about $279K
The typical Lancaster home is worth about $279,000, up 3% in a year, 12% above the Ohio typical home.
$279KZillow home value
Typical home value
Lancaster$279K
Ohio$249K
Market temperature
36
days on market
99.2%
sale-to-list price
+3%
value change, 1 year
60
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
3% of Lancaster is conserved land
8.3 miles of trails across 19 parks and preserves.
#294for trails in OH
3%
conserved · 364 of 12,222 acres
8.3 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
#223
most walkable in OH
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Keller-Kirn Park | 1.9 mi | 80 |
| 2. Rising Park | 1.2 mi | 75 |
| 3. Olivedale Park | 0.3 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 21% of U.S. towns
Lancaster reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 79% report less.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lancaster3.8
Ohio2.9
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lancaster16.9
Ohio14.7
U.S.15.5
21st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
14th
percentile among OH towns
161
violent crimes reported in 2025
707
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health
Healthier than 26% of U.S. towns
Lancaster beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
CHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Lancaster | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 8% |
| More smokers | 18% | 15.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.2% | 7.1% |
Fairfield Medical Center
1.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
40th
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Lancaster has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
15″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–40°
Spring41–63°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–65°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Lancaster
About one in 4 of Lancaster’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Columbus (22%), Greenfield (3%) and Canal Winchester (2%). Half commute less than 22 miles.
26%work in town
Where working residents work
In Lancaster26%
Columbus22%
Greenfield3%
Canal Winchester2%
Groveport2%
22 mi
median commute distance
17,398
jobs based in Lancaster
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools
Lancaster’s public schools outperform 43% of Ohio districts
The public schools Lancaster’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 57% of Ohio’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarhe Trails Elementary School | K–5 | 611 | B |
| Gorsuch West Elementary School | K–5 | 530 | C |
| Medill Elementary School | K–5 | 530 | C+ |
| Mt. Pleasant Elementary School | K–5 | 530 | C+ |
| Tallmadge Elementary School | K–5 | 486 | C |
| Bridges | 1–8 | 18 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduationAll 14 schools →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 42% of U.S. communities.
42risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
79
paid flood claims since 1979
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Landmarks
12 places in Lancaster on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Lancaster
City in Ohio, United States
Lancaster (locally LANK-(ə-)stər) is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, and its county seat. The population was 40,552 at the 2020 United States census, making it Ohio's 30th largest city, having surpassed Warren and Findlay due to its own growth while the latter two cities declined. The city is near the Hocking River in the south-central part of the state, about 33 miles (53 km) southeast of Columbus and 38 miles (61 km) southwest of Zanesville. It is part of the Columbus metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1800
- Population
- 40,552
- Area
- 19 sq mi
- Elevation
- 879 ft
- ZIP code
- 43130
- Area code
- 740
Lancaster’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Lancaster.
HockingPleasantGreenfieldBerneLancaster
More about Lancaster
Still missing for Lancaster:archive photosupcoming events