Financial Security

Increasing


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 2017-21, 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 increased 5 percentage points since 2000, a slightly larger increase than in Pennsylvania and on par with the U.S. (4 and 5 points respectively).

Renting was least affordable for residents in the City of Lancaster, where renters spent 31% of their income on rent in 2017-21, up from 28% in 2000.

Surrounding counties have similar rates to Lancaster, with Berks, Chester and York (all at 29%), and Dauphin and Lebanon (both at 28%), and Cumberland (27%).

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
20002007-112012-162017-21
Pennsylvania26%32%33%30%
Lancaster County23%29%31%28%
Lancaster City28%37%40%31%
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough17%21%*22%24%
Akron borough20%24%20%30%
Christiana borough19%23%28%23%
Columbia borough26%32%35%37%
Denver township20%26%37%23%
East Petersburg borough21%27%20%*19%*
Elizabethtown borough23%29%29%25%
Ephrata borough20%26%29%26%
Lititz borough24%34%27%31%
Manheim borough22%25%*25%29%
Marietta borough18%22%29%32%
Millersville borough36%55%55%48%
Mount Joy borough20%25%28%24%
Mountville borough23%33%43%22%
New Holland borough24%27%27%38%
Quarryville borough23%25%22%24%
Strasburg borough23%34%*30%26%
Terre Hill borough18%29%*29%N/A*
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township21%29%**28%*22%*
Brecknock township21%23%**21%N/A**
Caernarvon township20%31%*25%17%
Clay township21%19%**45%22%*
Colerain township27%20%***18%20%**
Conestoga township21%20%19%21%*
Conoy township15%21%**N/AN/A***
Drumore township21%29%*29%23%*
Earl township22%30%32%30%
East Cocalico township21%20%30%25%
East Donegal township22%30%21%23%
East Drumore township23%34%31%34%
East Earl township20%20%*25%18%
East Hempfield township23%27%33%25%
East Lampeter township22%28%29%30%
Eden township23%28%30%*34%*
Elizabeth township16%36%21%20%*
Ephrata township20%26%27%23%
Fulton township17%17%26%15%
Lancaster township26%31%35%32%
Leacock township19%23%19%22%*
Little Britain township29%22%***15%14%***
Manheim township24%30%36%31%
Manor township21%25%29%31%
Martic township15%36%***30%19%
Mount Joy township21%38%25%23%
Paradise township19%29%28%19%*
Penn township20%28%32%22%
Pequea township16%25%29%*N/A
Providence township17%30%*30%18%
Rapho township20%27%26%30%
Sadsbury township14%20%*49%***16%**
Salisbury township21%19%27%22%*
Strasburg township22%17%28%36%
Upper Leacock township20%26%24%35%
Warwick township20%29%29%31%
West Cocalico township17%23%*25%17%*
West Donegal township47%57%56%*100%
West Earl township16%28%*20%**26%
West Hempfield township25%31%32%29%
West Lampeter township35%49%37%*37%*
Berks County25%32%35%29%
Chester County23%29%31%29%
Cumberland County23%26%28%27%
Dauphin County25%29%30%28%
Lebanon County22%27%26%28%
York County23%29%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%.








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