Financial Security
Cost of Renting

Decreasing


Rent as Percentage of Household Income

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What does this measure?

The proportion of household income that goes toward monthly rent, utilities and fuel, calculated by dividing median rent by median household income for renters.

Why is this important?

This figure indicates how affordable housing is for renters. The federal Housing and Urban Development Department guideline for affordability is that rent should consume no more than 30% of household income.

How does our county compare?

In 2019-23, Lancaster County renters spent 28% of their income on rent, slightly below the state and nation (at 30% and 31%, respectively). The proportion in Lancaster decreased 4 percentage points since 2009-13, a decrease that is similar to Pennsylvania and the nation (3 and 2 points, respectively).

Renting was somewhat less affordable for residents in the City of Lancaster, where renters spent 30% of their income on rent in 2019-23, down 11 percentage points since 2009-13.

Surrounding counties have similar rates to Lancaster, with Berks and Chester (both at 30%), York and Dauphin (both at 29%), and Lebanon and Cumberland (27% and 26% respectively).

Notes about the data

Multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 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 released annually in December.

Rent as Percentage of Household Income
2009-132014-182019-23
Pennsylvania33%32%30%
Lancaster County32%30%28%
Lancaster City41%35%30%
Lancaster County School Districts
School District of Lancaster41%34%30%
Cocalico School District26%25%25%
Columbia Borough School District38%33%41%
Conestoga Valley School District29%29%31%
Donegal School District25%24%26%
Eastern Lancaster County School District28%27%23%
Elizabethtown Area School District32%29%29%
Ephrata Area School District28%26%25%
Hempfield School District32%32%25%
Lampeter-Strasburg School District38%*32%34%*
Manheim Central School District31%28%27%
Manheim Township School District31%33%33%
Penn Manor School District33%34%27%
Pequea Valley School District23%23%21%
Solanco School District28%26%25%
Warwick School District26%30%35%
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough24%*19%23%
Akron borough29%22%30%
Christiana borough22%26%24%
Columbia borough38%33%41%
Denver township37%46%16%
East Petersburg borough24%15%21%
Elizabethtown borough29%27%22%
Ephrata borough27%29%25%
Lititz borough29%31%34%
Manheim borough33%26%36%
Marietta borough25%32%29%
Millersville borough56%46%39%*
Mount Joy borough27%26%22%
Mountville borough45%39%22%
New Holland borough27%30%40%
Quarryville borough25%24%28%
Strasburg borough26%32%23%*
Terre Hill borough28%17%**46%
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township36%**22%20%
Brecknock township21%26%N/A**
Caernarvon township23%*21%*14%***
Clay township38%19%*34%**
Colerain township23%23%***28%**
Conestoga township24%18%24%***
Conoy township21%N/A*N/A*
Drumore township53%**26%25%**
Earl township37%31%27%*
East Cocalico township20%28%31%
East Donegal township24%*22%26%
East Drumore township38%57%40%*
East Earl township22%25%22%*
East Hempfield township31%33%26%
East Lampeter township29%32%29%
Eden township31%*24%**25%
Elizabeth township34%25%*20%
Ephrata township26%27%23%
Fulton township19%25%N/A
Lancaster township38%31%31%
Leacock township19%22%20%
Little Britain township28%12%***13%*
Manheim township31%33%33%
Manor township30%28%27%
Martic township45%***34%16%
Mount Joy township36%22%22%
Paradise township33%23%20%
Penn township31%31%24%
Pequea township28%*20%14%
Providence township35%26%26%
Rapho township33%24%*28%
Sadsbury township25%30%**14%
Salisbury township22%28%24%
Strasburg township19%30%62%**
Upper Leacock township31%23%35%
Warwick township29%29%33%
West Cocalico township34%*20%23%
West Donegal township53%*48%89%
West Earl township24%**30%*24%
West Hempfield township32%37%26%*
West Lampeter township45%32%*42%**
Berks County34%33%30%
Chester County31%29%30%
Cumberland County28%28%26%
Dauphin County30%30%29%
Lebanon County27%27%27%
York County30%31%29%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Rent considered affordable if less than 30% of income. Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.








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 Increasing
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Maintaining
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
Children Living in Poverty Decreasing
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Decreasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Veterans Living in Poverty Increasing
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 Maintaining
Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch Increasing
Median Home Value Maintaining
Occupied Housing Units Increasing
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Rent Maintaining
Cost of Renting Decreasing
Households Without Vehicles Maintaining
Means of Transportation to Work, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
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 Increasing
High-Tech Jobs Increasing
STEM Graduates Increasing
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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