What does this measure?
The change in the number of business establishments by sector, shown as a percentage gain or loss.
Why is this important?
This indicator reveals which industries are adding establishments and which are experiencing stagnation, contraction or consolidation.
How does our county compare?
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. While Cumberland is close with a 26% increase, in all other comparison counties (Berks, Chester, Dauphin, Lebanon, York), the number of businesses increased less than 20% from 2000 to 2021. Lancaster had the second highest total number of businesses, at over 14,000, behind Chester with over 15,900. All other comparison counties (Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon and York) had fewer than 10,000 businesses.
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%). Among smaller-scale Lancaster business sectors (representing 1 to 2% of county jobs), the largest gains were the Educational Services (292%) and Natural Resources and Mining (88%). The lowest gain between 2000 and 2021 was in Information (1%).
Notes about the data
This is a measure of business establishments, not the number of separate firms. A single business may have multiple locations. This indicator includes both new firms and additional locations of current business firms. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the third quarter.
| Construction | Educational Services | Financial Activities | Government | Health Care and Social Assistance | Information | Leisure and Hospitality | Manufacturing | Natural Resources and Mining | Other Services | Professional and Business Services | Total | Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | -5% | 66% | 20% | 8% | 78% | 22% | 18% | -25% | 31% | 1% | 56% | 18% | -3% |
| Lancaster County | 35% | 292% | 33% | 2% | 85% | 1% | 38% | 5% | 88% | 18% | 54% | 30% | 9% |
| Berks County | -10% | 26% | 4% | 8% | 77% | -31% | 8% | -23% | 26% | -5% | 15% | 4% | -10% |
| Chester County | 5% | 123% | 37% | 14% | 74% | 6% | 49% | -20% | 24% | 16% | 33% | 19% | -15% |
| Cumberland County | -5% | 77% | 18% | 34% | 100% | -16% | 37% | -15% | 23% | 13% | 54% | 26% | 5% |
| Dauphin County | -16% | 49% | 12% | -5% | 94% | 11% | 14% | -24% | -6% | -5% | 33% | 15% | 1% |
| Lebanon County | 7% | 65% | 19% | 19% | 52% | -43% | 17% | -21% | 87% | 6% | 39% | 15% | 8% |
| York County | -5% | 46% | 20% | 28% | 87% | -27% | 21% | -16% | 38% | 3% | 40% | 14% | -4% |
Notes: N/A - Data not disclosed or not reported.
| Construction | Educational Services | Financial Activities | Government | Health Care and Social Assistance | Information | Leisure and Hospitality | Manufacturing | Natural Resources and Mining | Other Services | Professional and Business Services | Total | Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 29,944 | 9,387 | 30,888 | 5,090 | 53,579 | 7,014 | 33,374 | 14,333 | 3,676 | 34,146 | 71,179 | 369,368 | 76,764 |
| Lancaster County | 1,859 | 282 | 1,076 | 107 | 1,563 | 132 | 1,298 | 1,031 | 277 | 1,339 | 1,942 | 14,042 | 3,139 |
| Berks County | 841 | 219 | 670 | 140 | 1,231 | 79 | 898 | 505 | 125 | 889 | 1,310 | 8,779 | 1,873 |
| Chester County | 1,460 | 408 | 1,626 | 128 | 1,875 | 312 | 1,268 | 620 | 268 | 1,531 | 3,843 | 15,908 | 2,570 |
| Cumberland County | 442 | 175 | 678 | 106 | 986 | 87 | 657 | 202 | 48 | 693 | 1,275 | 6,741 | 1,396 |
| Dauphin County | 464 | 212 | 631 | 146 | 1,257 | 115 | 822 | 195 | 31 | 817 | 1,301 | 7,511 | 1,524 |
| Lebanon County | 286 | 66 | 202 | 63 | 368 | 24 | 286 | 188 | 58 | 289 | 365 | 2,858 | 665 |
| York County | 889 | 209 | 752 | 145 | 1,358 | 83 | 902 | 582 | 84 | 902 | 1,368 | 9,204 | 1,932 |
Notes: N/A - Data not disclosed or not reported.
| INDICATORS | TREND |
|---|---|
| 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 |
