Economy






Lancaster County’s economy has been performing comparatively well over the past two decades. From 2010 to 2022, total jobs in Lancaster County increased 20%, below the U.S. rate (23%), but above Pennsylvania’s overall rate (12%). This represents a positive rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the county’s larger sectors, jobs were up 99% in Education, up 66% in Health Care and Social Assistance, up 42% in Professional and Business Services and down 17% in Information. Trade, Transportation and Utilities, with 32% growth, saw the largest absolute number increase in jobs during this period, gaining over 80,000 new jobs in 2022.

Lancaster County agricultural sales grew 43% between 2002 and 2022. This was below Pennsylvania’s overall growth rates for sales (48%), and even further below the U.S. average growth of 66% since 2002 and at the lower end of the range for neighboring counties. However, this may be due to the fact that Lancaster already had a much larger agricultural presence than surrounding counties. With $1.85 billion in sales in 2022, it accounted for 18% of Pennsylvania’s total agricultural sales, more than double the amount of the nearest neighboring county by volume (Chester, at $736 million).

Business size was about average: in 2021, just under half (49%) of businesses in Lancaster County employed 1-4 people, 21% employed 5-9 people, 14% employed 10-19 people and the remaining 16% employed 20 people or more. Only 3% of employers, a little over 400 businesses, had 100 or more employees. This was similar to the employer distribution throughout the state and nation.

Between 2000 and 2021, the last year data was available, Lancaster County's labor force grew 13%, an increase larger than Pennsylvania, at 5%, and on par with the nation.

Since 2000, the number of Lancaster County residents in occupations related to Management, Business, Science and Arts increased by 58%, and those in Service jobs by 28%. Production, Transportation and Material Moving jobs have declined by 4% and Sales and Office jobs by 5%.

In 2021, 35% of Lancaster County residents commuted outside the county for work, a smaller proportion of residents than in neighboring counties.

The total average salary in Lancaster County has increased 8% between 2000 and 2021. This compared to salary growth of 16% in the state and 17% in the nation.

In 2022, the three highest-paid sectors in Lancaster County were Financial Activities, with an average salary of $85,700, Professional and Business Services at $70,300 and Construction at $70,000. Salaries were higher at both the state and national level in each of these sectors.

In 2018-22, women in Lancaster County earned a median income of $28,500, or 56 cents for every dollar earned by men (a female-to-male earnings ratio of 0.56). This ratio was up 2% from 54 cents in 2008-12. The ratio was below the national average (0.67).

Local governments in Lancaster County spent $1,200 per resident in 2022, up 32% from 2000, but down from a high of $2,100 in 2010.

Local government spending across Pennsylvania was higher than Lancaster, at $1,800 per resident in 2022, an increase of 14% from 2000. Berks, Lancaster’s neighboring county had higher spending per capita than Lancaster in 2020.

Schools in Lancaster County spent $2,400 per resident in 2022, up about 2% from $2,380 in 2010. Lancaster’s spending per resident has been below the Pennsylvania average for each year since 2010.





INDICATORS TREND
Prekindergarten Participation Increasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
Per-Student Spending Maintaining
Students Receiving Special Education Services Increasing
Rate of Foster Care Admissions Maintaining
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Plans of High School Graduates Not Applicable
Enrollment in Local Colleges Decreasing
College Graduation Rates Decreasing
Brain Drain/Gain Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Charitable Giving Maintaining
Voter Registration Rate Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Age of Housing Stock Not Applicable
Violent Crime Rate Maintaining
Incarceration Rate Decreasing
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population Density Increasing
Air Quality Decreasing
Water Use Decreasing
Waterways Impaired by Pollution Not Applicable
Change in Population Increasing
Change in Population by Age and Gender Not Applicable
Population by Age Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector Not Applicable
Sector Share of Total Jobs Not Applicable
Workers by Occupation Not Applicable
Change in Labor Force Maintaining
People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Since 2000 Increasing
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Maintaining
Employer Size Not Applicable
Change in Number of Businesses by Sector Increasing
Change in Total Agricultural Sales Increasing
Spending for Local Government Maintaining
Spending for School Districts Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty Decreasing
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Decreasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Veterans Living in Poverty Maintaining
Working Poor Decreasing
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Median Household Income Maintaining
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance Maintaining
Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch Increasing
Median Home Value Maintaining
Occupied Housing Units Maintaining
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Rent Maintaining
Cost of Renting Increasing
Households Without Vehicles Maintaining
Means of Transportation to Work, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Health Status Decreasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Adults Who are Overweight or Obese Not Applicable
Mortality Rates Decreasing
Mortality Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Increasing
Fatal Drug Overdoses Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Households With Internet Access Increasing
High-Tech Jobs Increasing
STEM Graduates Increasing
Science and Engineering Research and Development Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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