Financial Security

Maintaining


Working Poor

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What does this measure?

The number of employed individuals whose incomes fall below the poverty line. 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?

People who are working, but earning at or below the poverty line face numerous obstacles that may make it more difficult for them to improve their status. Like others in poverty, they may find it difficult to meet basic needs for food or shelter, as well as facing challenges in paying for services they may need to stay employed, such as transportation or child care.

How does our county compare?

In 2017-21, 3% of people employed in Lancaster County had incomes below the poverty line. This percentage was identical to Pennsylvania and the nation. Within the City of Lancaster, the percentage of working poor was 6%, a decrease of 3 points from 2012-16.

Among surrounding counties, the percentage of working poor was similar to Lancaster, with Chester and York at 2%, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin and Lebanon at 3%.

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 released annually in December.

Working Poor
2012-162017-21
Pennsylvania3%3%
Lancaster County3%3%
Lancaster City9%6%
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough1%***2%***
Akron borough1%***2%***
Christiana borough4%***5%***
Columbia borough5%*3%**
Denver township2%***3%***
East Petersburg borough2%***3%***
Elizabethtown borough1%***2%***
Ephrata borough3%*4%**
Lititz borough2%**1%***
Manheim borough3%***4%***
Marietta borough5%**3%**
Millersville borough10%***9%**
Mount Joy borough4%***3%***
Mountville borough9%***2%***
New Holland borough2%***2%***
Quarryville borough3%**5%**
Strasburg borough2%***3%***
Terre Hill borough2%***4%***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township3%***0%***
Brecknock township4%***2%***
Caernarvon township2%***2%***
Clay township2%***1%***
Colerain township2%***3%***
Conestoga township1%***2%***
Conoy township4%***2%***
Drumore township2%***3%***
Earl township3%***3%***
East Cocalico township2%**2%***
East Donegal township2%***3%***
East Drumore township2%***0%***
East Earl township4%***1%***
East Hempfield township2%**1%***
East Lampeter township3%**3%**
Eden township5%*2%***
Elizabeth township1%***1%***
Ephrata township2%**2%***
Fulton township4%**3%***
Lancaster township5%**4%**
Leacock township3%***1%***
Little Britain township0%***3%***
Manheim township2%**2%*
Manor township3%**5%**
Martic township3%***1%***
Mount Joy township4%**1%***
Paradise township2%***7%***
Penn township2%***1%***
Pequea township1%***4%***
Providence township1%***2%***
Rapho township1%***1%***
Sadsbury township3%***4%*
Salisbury township3%***1%***
Strasburg township1%***0%***
Upper Leacock township4%*1%***
Warwick township2%***2%**
West Cocalico township2%***2%***
West Donegal township0%***1%***
West Earl township4%**0%***
West Hempfield township2%***1%***
West Lampeter township2%***1%***
Berks County4%3%
Chester County3%2%
Cumberland County3%3%
Dauphin County4%3%
Lebanon County3%3%
York County3%2%

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 Working Poor
2012-162017-21
Pennsylvania339,828311,413
Lancaster County13,34710,928
Lancaster City3,6642,568
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough16***34***
Akron borough25***77***
Christiana borough26***34***
Columbia borough371*297**
Denver township59***82***
East Petersburg borough84***107***
Elizabethtown borough106***129***
Ephrata borough316*413**
Lititz borough148**55***
Manheim borough121***140***
Marietta borough103**74**
Millersville borough575***540**
Mount Joy borough288***190***
Mountville borough177***60***
New Holland borough80***80***
Quarryville borough57**99**
Strasburg borough49***77***
Terre Hill borough25***33***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township73***6***
Brecknock township226***97***
Caernarvon township83***59***
Clay township89***46***
Colerain township58***77***
Conestoga township31***54***
Conoy township110***61***
Drumore township44***47***
Earl township147***147***
East Cocalico township136**160***
East Donegal township137***181***
East Drumore township58***12***
East Earl township186***33***
East Hempfield township403**132***
East Lampeter township462**339**
Eden township68*29***
Elizabeth township29***30***
Ephrata township180**178***
Fulton township84**66***
Lancaster township648**527**
Leacock township115***38***
Little Britain township13***105***
Manheim township575**738*
Manor township439**795**
Martic township109***44***
Mount Joy township373**44***
Paradise township93***273***
Penn township177***58***
Pequea township42***160***
Providence township60***103***
Rapho township101***117***
Sadsbury township58***100*
Salisbury township278***106***
Strasburg township28***0***
Upper Leacock township242*97***
Warwick township265***283**
West Cocalico township117***125***
West Donegal township26***43***
West Earl township234**29***
West Hempfield township229***183***
West Lampeter township231***117***
Berks County11,2809,703
Chester County10,3168,362
Cumberland County5,2415,041
Dauphin County8,2067,649
Lebanon County3,5563,331
York County9,9088,046

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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