The pay equity gap is hotly debated. While the data clearly shows that women generally earn less than men, there can be many factors contributing to this, including choices about when and how much to work, and what types of occupations men and women gravitate toward. This indicator looks broadly at what pay gap is between women and men overall.

In 2014-18, women in Lancaster County earned a median income of $22,393, or 55 cents for every dollar earned by men (a female to male earnings ratio of 0.55). This ratio was up 8% from 51 cents in 2000. The ratio was below the national average (0.66).

In the City of Lancaster, the ratio is narrower, with women earning 74 cents for every dollar earned by men (a female to male earnings ratio of 0.74), a 12% increase from 2000 and above the national average.

Multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in December.