What does this measure?
The number of residents per square mile of land area.
Why is this important?
Population density gives an indicator of individual lifestyle, community life, availability of land, and often, the intensity of private development and government services, which tend to be higher in more densely populated areas.
How does our county compare?
Lancaster County had a 2019 population density of 578 people per square mile, above the Pennsylvania average of 286 per square mile and the U.S. average of 93 per square mile. Since both Pennsylvania and the United States have large areas of open land mixed with some densely populated areas, a better comparison is to neighboring counties.
Of surrounding counties, Lancaster has the second highest population density, behind Chester (699). Ordered by density, below Lancaster are Dauphin (530), York (497), Berks (492), Cumberland (464), and Lebanon (392).
Parts of the county differ dramatically in population density. In the City of Lancaster, the density is 8,200 people per square mile.
Notes about the data
None.
2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pennsylvania | 274 | 275 | 276 | 277 | 277 | 278 | 280 | 281 | 282 | 283 | 284 | 285 | 285 | 286 | 286 | 286 | 286 | 286 | 286 | 286 |
Lancaster County | 499 | 504 | 509 | 514 | 519 | 524 | 531 | 537 | 542 | 547 | 550 | 555 | 558 | 561 | 565 | 568 | 570 | 573 | 576 | 578 |
Lancaster City | 7,798 | 7,823 | 7,861 | 7,904 | 7,947 | 7,982 | 8,043 | 8,097 | 8,146 | 8,190 | 8,200 | 8,222 | 8,220 | 8,219 | 8,221 | 8,226 | 8,231 | 8,232 | 8,220 | 8,200 |
Lancaster County Boroughs | ||||||||||||||||||||
Lancaster County Townships | ||||||||||||||||||||
Berks County | 436 | 441 | 445 | 451 | 456 | 462 | 469 | 473 | 476 | 479 | 481 | 482 | 483 | 483 | 484 | 485 | 485 | 488 | 491 | 492 |
Chester County | 577 | 588 | 597 | 606 | 617 | 627 | 638 | 648 | 655 | 661 | 665 | 671 | 674 | 678 | 683 | 686 | 689 | 691 | 696 | 699 |
Cumberland County | 392 | 394 | 398 | 402 | 406 | 409 | 416 | 419 | 424 | 429 | 432 | 435 | 439 | 442 | 446 | 451 | 453 | 457 | 460 | 464 |
Dauphin County | 480 | 481 | 485 | 487 | 488 | 491 | 496 | 501 | 506 | 509 | 511 | 513 | 514 | 517 | 519 | 520 | 522 | 525 | 527 | 530 |
Lebanon County | 332 | 334 | 336 | 340 | 344 | 349 | 355 | 360 | 364 | 367 | 369 | 372 | 375 | 375 | 377 | 380 | 383 | 386 | 391 | 392 |
York County | 422 | 427 | 431 | 437 | 444 | 452 | 462 | 470 | 475 | 479 | 481 | 483 | 484 | 485 | 487 | 488 | 491 | 493 | 495 | 497 |
Notes: Figures are people per square mile.
2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pennsylvania | 12,280,548 | 12,298,970 | 12,331,031 | 12,374,658 | 12,410,722 | 12,449,990 | 12,510,809 | 12,563,937 | 12,612,285 | 12,666,858 | 12,702,868 | 12,745,815 | 12,767,118 | 12,776,309 | 12,788,313 | 12,784,826 | 12,782,275 | 12,787,641 | 12,800,922 | 12,801,989 |
Lancaster County | 470,783 | 475,483 | 480,118 | 485,119 | 489,977 | 494,722 | 500,922 | 506,639 | 511,957 | 516,577 | 519,443 | 523,957 | 526,878 | 530,012 | 533,289 | 535,811 | 538,160 | 541,332 | 543,969 | 545,724 |
Lancaster City | 56,356 | 56,540 | 56,815 | 57,121 | 57,435 | 57,689 | 58,127 | 58,520 | 58,870 | 59,191 | 59,263 | 59,417 | 59,406 | 59,397 | 59,411 | 59,446 | 59,486 | 59,494 | 59,407 | 59,265 |
Lancaster County Boroughs | ||||||||||||||||||||
Lancaster County Townships | ||||||||||||||||||||
Berks County | 373,712 | 377,487 | 381,338 | 385,846 | 390,848 | 395,933 | 401,834 | 405,223 | 407,737 | 409,904 | 411,570 | 413,008 | 413,518 | 413,915 | 414,559 | 415,138 | 415,784 | 417,511 | 420,529 | 421,164 |
Chester County | 433,208 | 441,024 | 447,842 | 455,111 | 462,902 | 470,506 | 479,137 | 486,156 | 491,473 | 496,291 | 499,133 | 503,462 | 506,089 | 509,105 | 512,770 | 515,055 | 516,767 | 518,901 | 522,086 | 524,989 |
Cumberland County | 213,605 | 215,087 | 217,318 | 219,351 | 221,225 | 223,361 | 226,835 | 228,718 | 231,357 | 233,910 | 235,387 | 237,107 | 239,244 | 241,059 | 243,280 | 245,744 | 247,369 | 249,024 | 251,131 | 253,370 |
Dauphin County | 251,770 | 252,500 | 254,339 | 255,585 | 256,194 | 257,673 | 260,312 | 263,096 | 265,395 | 267,090 | 268,126 | 269,249 | 270,005 | 271,431 | 272,223 | 273,085 | 274,196 | 275,714 | 276,864 | 278,299 |
Lebanon County | 120,202 | 120,954 | 121,698 | 123,154 | 124,644 | 126,197 | 128,302 | 130,182 | 131,574 | 132,959 | 133,597 | 134,529 | 135,545 | 135,804 | 136,538 | 137,479 | 138,480 | 139,553 | 141,339 | 141,793 |
York County | 381,791 | 385,773 | 389,692 | 395,093 | 401,403 | 409,066 | 418,043 | 424,919 | 429,399 | 433,022 | 435,015 | 436,701 | 437,466 | 438,932 | 440,475 | 441,741 | 443,693 | 445,484 | 447,847 | 449,058 |
INDICATORS | TREND |
---|---|
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 | Increasing |
Water Use | Decreasing |
Waterways Impaired by Pollution | Not Applicable |