Financial Security

Increasing


People Living in Poverty

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What does this measure?

The share of residents with incomes below the federal poverty level. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2021, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $27,479.

Why is this important?

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.

How does our county compare?

In 2017-21, 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, 19% of residents lived below the poverty line, lower than the rate in 2000, and down 10 percentage points from 2012-16.

Among surrounding counties, York (9%) and Cumberland (7%) had poverty rates similar to Lancaster in 2017-21. The rate was lower in Chester (6%), and higher in Berks and Dauphin (both at 12%) and Lebanon (11%). 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 and Cumberland remained unchanged.

Notes about the data

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.

People Living in Poverty
20002007-112012-162017-21
Pennsylvania11%13%13%12%
Lancaster County8%10%11%9%
Lancaster City21%28%29%19%
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough2%4%***4%***8%***
Akron borough5%5%***6%***8%**
Christiana borough6%18%***12%***11%**
Columbia borough11%22%*20%*16%*
Denver township5%3%***7%***8%***
East Petersburg borough3%10%***5%**8%***
Elizabethtown borough5%11%*9%*10%**
Ephrata borough6%7%*10%*10%*
Lititz borough4%8%**6%*4%**
Manheim borough5%9%***11%***14%***
Marietta borough9%8%*16%**12%**
Millersville borough16%20%*21%*23%*
Mount Joy borough7%7%***12%**9%***
Mountville borough7%7%***21%***9%***
New Holland borough5%12%***9%**3%***
Quarryville borough7%8%***10%**16%**
Strasburg borough3%7%***4%***11%***
Terre Hill borough5%4%***5%***11%***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township13%10%**12%**2%***
Brecknock township9%4%***7%**3%***
Caernarvon township8%15%**6%***7%***
Clay township5%5%***11%**4%***
Colerain township11%8%***9%**16%***
Conestoga township4%5%***4%***8%***
Conoy township4%2%***14%**11%***
Drumore township5%15%***12%**9%***
Earl township15%9%***9%***11%***
East Cocalico township3%5%**9%*6%***
East Donegal township2%5%***5%***5%***
East Drumore township13%5%***6%***6%***
East Earl township5%6%***12%**4%***
East Hempfield township4%6%*7%**3%**
East Lampeter township7%8%*12%*9%**
Eden township9%14%**13%**8%***
Elizabeth township4%8%***4%***3%***
Ephrata township6%8%***7%**8%***
Fulton township14%11%***13%**10%***
Lancaster township10%12%*14%*11%*
Leacock township15%10%***8%**7%***
Little Britain township14%9%***1%***11%***
Manheim township4%6%*6%*5%*
Manor township4%4%*8%*11%**
Martic township2%9%***7%**4%***
Mount Joy township3%11%*13%***5%***
Paradise township8%12%**11%***13%**
Penn township4%4%***7%**5%**
Pequea township4%8%***3%***13%***
Providence township6%6%***7%***9%**
Rapho township4%9%***4%**4%***
Sadsbury township13%9%**9%***10%**
Salisbury township9%7%**9%***5%***
Strasburg township5%9%***5%***5%***
Upper Leacock township7%11%**16%*9%**
Warwick township4%3%**6%**6%**
West Cocalico township3%6%***7%***10%***
West Donegal township2%5%***1%***7%***
West Earl township8%10%**11%***3%***
West Hempfield township6%5%**7%**5%***
West Lampeter township3%4%**5%*3%***
Berks County9%13%14%12%
Chester County5%6%7%6%
Cumberland County7%7%9%7%
Dauphin County10%12%13%12%
Lebanon County8%10%11%11%
York County7%9%10%9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: 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%.




Number of People Living in Poverty
20002007-112012-162017-21
Pennsylvania1,304,1171,548,8691,647,7621,482,811
Lancaster County35,55349,40055,97746,315
Lancaster City11,16215,36416,25510,482
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough2963***84***189***
Akron borough179183***217***342**
Christiana borough63175***100***93**
Columbia borough1,1332,205*2,066*1,637*
Denver township174108***248***298***
East Petersburg borough122455***205**348***
Elizabethtown borough508965*912*990**
Ephrata borough804997*1,357*1,330*
Lititz borough355703**509*325**
Manheim borough255449***535***687***
Marietta borough248213*420**327**
Millersville borough9061,052*1,331*1,512*
Mount Joy borough475507***950**748***
Mountville borough169205***609***265***
New Holland borough263625***503**194***
Quarryville borough140195***263**452**
Strasburg borough90203***101***338***
Terre Hill borough5945***69***114***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township399310**400**79***
Brecknock township588294***539**213***
Caernarvon township340673**287***307***
Clay township279324***742**250***
Colerain township370305***332**624***
Conestoga township131185***150***310***
Conoy township11369***458**372***
Drumore township113393***312**241***
Earl township923643***599***758***
East Cocalico township334541**915*658***
East Donegal township82339***393***388***
East Drumore township407167***219***239***
East Earl township293365***832**266***
East Hempfield township8331,495*1,553**881**
East Lampeter township8821,278*2,016*1,558**
Eden township165302**260**187***
Elizabeth township169316***177***131***
Ephrata township466689***686**867***
Fulton township385345***402**305***
Lancaster township1,3351,934*2,299*1,940*
Leacock township750543***409**413***
Little Britain township477346***40***473***
Manheim township1,2862,111*2,138*2,177*
Manor township621791*1,693*2,289**
Martic township121490***389**197***
Mount Joy township2401,082*1,380***496***
Paradise township392619**571***758**
Penn township313347***635**495**
Pequea township159353***123***698***
Providence township393434***462***632**
Rapho township352867***425**448***
Sadsbury township375291**308***339**
Salisbury township922726**1,074***543***
Strasburg township188384***207***236***
Upper Leacock township576934**1,374*799**
Warwick township555484**1,024**1,169**
West Cocalico township179426***509***767***
West Donegal township103359***110***538***
West Earl township550742**913***230***
West Hempfield township862828**1,133**793***
West Lampeter township398564**755*580***
Berks County34,20151,99357,32948,947
Chester County22,03229,32035,88331,405
Cumberland County13,10215,70019,82817,865
Dauphin County23,70631,98735,95033,707
Lebanon County8,72812,29614,29315,052
York County25,26939,96145,11338,673

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: 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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