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Lancaster

A city of 57,719 people in Pennsylvania
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The places and views that make it Lancaster

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Outdoors in Lancaster

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Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

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About Lancaster

City in Pennsylvania, United States
1730Established
58,039Population
7.4 sq miArea
367 ftElevation

Lancaster is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth-most populous city in the state. It is a core city within South Central Pennsylvania, with 552,984 residents in the Lancaster metropolitan area. Settled in the 1720s, Lancaster is one of the oldest inland cities in the US. It served as the capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812. The city's primary industries include healthcare, tourism, public administration, manufacturing, and both professional and semi-professional services. Lancaster is located 59 miles (95 km) southwest of Allentown and 61 miles (98 km) west of Philadelphia and is…

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

Town numbers

ZIP code17573, 17601, 17602
Area code717
Living in Lancaster

Housing in Lancaster

$270K Median sale price · Redfin, May 2026

The median sale price was $270,000 in May 2026.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s
Days on market13
Sale-to-list101.1%
Sold in May67
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Lancaster

—

Not graded

A grade needs all of the FBI's latest years (2023–2025). Lancaster's police department reported only 2025, so we don't grade it yet. The figures below are still real.

Violent crime per 1,000
Lancaster 3.7
Pennsylvania 2.3
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000
Lancaster 13.6
Pennsylvania 13.6
U.S. 15.5
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Lancaster

Compared with Pennsylvania

3worse than PA

of 5 measures CDC estimates. The other 2 are too close to call.

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Care nearby

Lancaster General HospitalLancaster · 0.4 mi · ER
Lcha Farnum Street EastLancaster · 0.5 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

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C−

School Grade C-

The public schools Lancaster’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 82% of Pennsylvania’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Lancaster’s schools compare in PA →
DistrictLancaster SDSchools23

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 PA. Ratings are from neighbors.

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

How things work in Lancaster

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Lancaster

Pennsylvania · PA
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01