The percentage of people living in or near poverty is a measure of the overall economic health of a region. It also indicates the level of need for social and government supports.

In 2016-20, Lancaster County's poverty rate was 9%, below both the state (12%) and nation (13%). This was an increase of 1 percentage point since 2000, the same rise as Pennsylvania and the U.S. (both 1 percentage point) during the same period.

In the City of Lancaster, 21% of residents lived below the poverty line, unchanged since 2000, however down 8 percentage points from 2011-15.

Among surrounding counties, York and Lebanon had poverty rates similar to Lancaster in 2015-20. Rates were lower in Chester and Cumberland (6% and 7% respectively), and higher in Berks and Dauphin (both at 12%). Berks and Lebanon experienced a 3-point increase in poverty rates since 2000, while York and Dauphin experienced a 2-point increase. Chester experienced a 1-point increase.

The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined 5 years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with 3 asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). 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 annually in December.