Lancaster, PA housing market
Homes typically sell in 13 days, a little above asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Lancaster compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Lancaster at a glance
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Home prices up 59% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Lancaster rose 59% over the past 5 years, faster than across Pennsylvania (48%). Last year prices rose 3.6%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Lancaster home at roughly $381,000 today.
Show as a table
| Year | Change that year | Since 2000 | Pennsylvania since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +3.6% | +204% | +164% |
| 2024 | +6.5% | +194% | +152% |
| 2023 | +9.6% | +176% | +138% |
| 2022 | +17% | +152% | +122% |
| 2021 | +13% | +115% | +96% |
| 2020 | +4.1% | +91% | +79% |
| 2019 | +4.9% | +84% | +72% |
| 2018 | +7.7% | +75% | +66% |
| 2017 | +5.8% | +63% | +59% |
| 2016 | +3.5% | +54% | +53% |
| 2015 | +2.5% | +49% | +49% |
| 2014 | +2% | +45% | +46% |
| 2013 | +0.5% | +42% | +43% |
| 2012 | −1.3% | +41% | +42% |
| 2011 | −2.9% | +43% | +45% |
| 2010 | −2.3% | +48% | +48% |
| 2009 | −0.5% | +51% | +52% |
| 2008 | −0.2% | +52% | +57% |
| 2007 | +3.6% | +52% | +59% |
| 2006 | +9.6% | +47% | +55% |
| 2005 | +10% | +34% | +44% |
| 2004 | +7.8% | +21% | +29% |
| 2003 | +4.1% | +13% | +17% |
| 2002 | +3.7% | +8.2% | +12% |
| 2001 | +4.3% | +4.3% | +6.2% |
| 2000 | — | — | — |
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual, developmental) for ZIP codes 17602, 17603, 17601, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost. The estimated value scales the Census (ACS 2020-2024) median home value by that change.
4 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 4 new homes in Lancaster in 2025, all single-family houses. That's 0.1 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Pennsylvania (2). Over the past 10 years, Lancaster has permitted 779 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Lancaster's population fell by 1,283 even though 55 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Pennsylvania: 1.4 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 25 | 1 | 24 | $4 million |
| 2025 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $644,000 |
| 2024 | 190 | 0 | 190 | $29.2 million |
| 2023 | 562 | 562 | 0 | $169 million |
| 2022 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $644,000 |
| 2020 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $91,000 |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $110,000 |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 2 | $72,000 |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $333,000 |
| 2014 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 2 | $240,000 |
| 2012 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2011 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $902,000 |
| 2010 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2009 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2008 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $390,000 |
| 2007 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $781,000 |
| 2006 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $793,000 |
| 2005 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2004 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2003 | 21 | 21 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2002 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2001 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $688,000 |
| 2000 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $724,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Lancaster and its neighbors
| Town | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | +3.6%† | $1,640 | 4 | $63,690 |
| Manheim | +6.3%† | $1,670 | 163 | $102,134 |
| West Lampeter | +4.9%† | $1,780 | 14 | $110,143 |
| Lancaster | +3.9%† | $1,610 | 63 | $88,912 |
| East Lampeter | +3.4%† | $1,610 | 19 | $87,361 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.4 years of income
The typical Lancaster home costs about 3.4 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Pennsylvania (3.7).
How Lancaster ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,640
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lancaster is $1,640 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Lancaster pay a median of $1,240, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 31% of the town's median household income, above the 30% guideline for affordable housing.
Studio $1,180 · 4 bedrooms $2,170
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (17601, 17602, 17603; Lancaster, PA MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.