Lancaster, OH: Local News, Events & Neighbors

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.

Official town website ↗

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

How Lancaster ranks

All →

#28Most new homes in OH #256Fastest growing in OH #306Lowest property tax in OH All OH rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code43130

Area code740

Living in Lancaster

Housing in Lancaster

$279K▲ 3% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Lancaster home is worth about $279,000, up 3% in a year, 12% above the Ohio typical home.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market36

Sale-to-list99.2%

Sold in May60

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Lancaster

C⁻

Safety Grade C-

Lancaster reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 79% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Lancaster 3.8

Ohio 2.9

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Lancaster 16.9

Ohio 14.7

U.S. 15.5

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

Health in Lancaster

Compared with Ohio

4worse than OH

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 28 are too close to call.

Conditions 3▼ 9 close Habits 1▼ 3 close Care all close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.7%More adults with COPDOH 8% · worse 18%More smokersOH 15.4% · worse 8.2%More adults with heart diseaseOH 7.1% · worse

Care nearby

Fairfield Medical CenterLancaster · 1.6 mi · ER

Fchc SouthLancaster · 1.1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · part of Lancaster

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

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 57% of Ohio’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Lancaster’s schools compare in OH →

DistrictLancaster CitySchools14

Tarhe Trails Elementary School BElementary · Grades K–5 · 611 students Gorsuch West Elementary School CElementary · Grades K–5 · 530 students Medill Elementary School C+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 530 students Mt. Pleasant Elementary School C+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 530 students Tallmadge Elementary School CElementary · Grades K–5 · 486 students BridgesElementary · Grades 1–8 · 18 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 OH. Ratings are from neighbors.

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