Economy






Lancaster County’s economy has been performing comparatively well over the past two decades. From 2001 to 2021, total jobs in Lancaster County increased 18%, below the U.S. rate (22%), but above Pennsylvania’s overall rate (10%). This represents a postive rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the county’s larger sectors, jobs were up 91% in Education, up 65% in Health Care and Social Assistance, up 35% in Professional and Business Services and down 27% in Information. Health, with 13% growth, saw the largest absolute number increase in jobs during this period, gaining over 43,200 new jobs in 2021.

The total number of businesses in the county increased 30% from 2000 to 2021, compared to 18% in the state and 38% in the nation. This is substantially above neighboring counties. The largest percentage gains for large-scale business sectors in Lancaster County were in Health Care and Social Assistance (85%), Professional and Business Services (54%), and Leisure and Hospitality (38%).

Lancaster County agricultural sales have grown 39% since 2002. This was similar to Pennsylvania’s overall growth rates for sales, but below U.S. average growth of 42% 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 $1.5 billion in sales in 2017, it accounted for almost 20% of Pennsylvania’s total agricultural sales, more than double the amount of the nearest neighboring county by volume (Chester, at $740 million).

Business size was about average: in 2020, just under half (47%) of businesses in Lancaster County employed 1-4 people, 21% employed 5-9 people, 15% employed 10-19 people and the remaining 11% employed 20 people or more. Only 3% of employers, a little over 400 businesses, had 100 or more employees. This represents very little change for Lancaster County since 2000, and was similar to the employer distribution throughout the state and nation.

Between 2000 and 2021, 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 53%, and those in Service jobs by 29%. Production, Transportation and Material Moving jobs have declined by 5% and Sales and Office jobs by 3%.

In 2019, 34% of Lancaster County residents commuted outside the county for work, up 10 percentage points since 2002, but a smaller proportion of residents than in neighboring counties.

The total average salary in Lancaster County ha increased 12% between 2000 and 2021. This compared to growth of 21% in the state and 22% in the nation.

In 2021, the three highest-paid sectors in Lancaster County were Financial Activities, with an average salary of $85,900, Professional and Business Services at $68,300 and Construction at $67,400. Salaries were higher at both the state and national level in each of these sectors

In 2017-21, women in Lancaster County earned a median income of $25,800, or 55 cents for every dollar earned by men (a female-to-male earnings ratio of 0.55). This ratio was up 9% from 51 cents in 2000. The ratio was below the national average (0.66).

Local governments in Lancaster County spent $1,145 per resident in 2020, up 34% from 2000, but down from $1,900 in 2014. Local government spending across Pennsylvania was higher than in Lancaster, at $1,800 per resident in 2020, an increase of 21% 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 2021, up about 29% from $1,800 in 2001. Lancaster’s spending per resident has been below the Pennsylvania average for each year since 2001. 





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 Decreasing
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 Decreasing
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 Maintaining
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Veterans Living in Poverty Maintaining
Working Poor Maintaining
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 Increasing
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 Decreasing
Means of Transportation to Work, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Increasing
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 Not Applicable
High-Tech Jobs Increasing
STEM Graduates Maintaining
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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