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.

In 2020-24, Lancaster County renters spent 28% of their income on rent, slightly below the state and nation (at 31% and 32%, respectively). The proportion in Lancaster decreased 4 percentage points since 2010-14, a decrease that is similar to Pennsylvania and the nation (2 and 1 points, respectively).

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).

Renting was somewhat less affordable for residents in the City of Lancaster, where renters spent 31% of their income on rent in 2020-24, down 10 percentage points since 2010-14.

Surrounding counties have similar rates to Lancaster. Berks had the highest rate (31%), followed by Dauphin (30%), Chester and York (both at 29%), Lancaster (28%), and Lebanon and Cumberland (both at 27%).

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.