Financial Security
Working Poor

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 2023, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $30,900.

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 2019-23, 3% of people, or about 11,000 individuals, employed in Lancaster County had incomes below the poverty line. This percentage was on par with Pennsylvania and the nation. Within the City of Lancaster, the percentage of working poor was 7%, a decrease of 1 percentage point from 2014-18.

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
2014-182019-23
Pennsylvania3%3%
Lancaster County3%3%
Lancaster City8%7%
Lancaster County School Districts
School District of Lancaster7%6%
Cocalico School District2%*2%**
Columbia Borough School District5%*4%**
Conestoga Valley School District3%*2%**
Donegal School District3%**3%**
Eastern Lancaster County School District3%*2%**
Elizabethtown Area School District1%**1%***
Ephrata Area School District2%*2%*
Hempfield School District2%*1%*
Lampeter-Strasburg School District2%**1%***
Manheim Central School District2%*1%***
Manheim Township School District3%*2%*
Penn Manor School District4%*4%*
Pequea Valley School District4%**2%**
Solanco School District2%*3%*
Warwick School District2%**1%***
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough0%***3%***
Akron borough2%***2%***
Christiana borough2%***6%***
Columbia borough5%*4%**
Denver township4%**1%***
East Petersburg borough0%***2%***
Elizabethtown borough1%***2%***
Ephrata borough3%**3%***
Lititz borough1%***0%***
Manheim borough4%***3%***
Marietta borough6%**3%***
Millersville borough12%**6%**
Mount Joy borough3%***4%***
Mountville borough8%***2%***
New Holland borough3%***3%***
Quarryville borough5%**5%***
Strasburg borough3%***2%***
Terre Hill borough3%***8%***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township1%***2%***
Brecknock township4%***1%***
Caernarvon township3%***1%***
Clay township1%***2%***
Colerain township4%***5%**
Conestoga township1%***1%***
Conoy township4%***2%***
Drumore township2%***2%***
Earl township3%***3%***
East Cocalico township2%***2%***
East Donegal township2%***2%***
East Drumore township2%***1%***
East Earl township1%***1%***
East Hempfield township2%**1%**
East Lampeter township4%**3%**
Eden township5%**2%***
Elizabeth township2%***2%***
Ephrata township2%**2%***
Fulton township2%***4%***
Lancaster township6%*2%**
Leacock township1%***2%***
Little Britain township2%***3%***
Manheim township3%*2%*
Manor township2%**5%**
Martic township2%***1%***
Mount Joy township1%***0%***
Paradise township8%***3%***
Penn township2%***1%***
Pequea township2%***2%***
Providence township2%***2%***
Rapho township2%**0%***
Sadsbury township3%**4%**
Salisbury township3%***2%***
Strasburg township1%***3%***
Upper Leacock township3%**1%***
Warwick township2%***2%***
West Cocalico township2%***2%***
West Donegal township1%***1%***
West Earl township4%**0%***
West Hempfield township2%***1%***
West Lampeter township1%***1%***
Berks County3%3%
Chester County2%2%
Cumberland County2%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
2014-182019-23
Pennsylvania337,894305,717
Lancaster County13,42610,993
Lancaster City3,4293,014
Lancaster County School Districts
School District of Lancaster4,1353,303
Cocalico School District394*329**
Columbia Borough School District427*383**
Conestoga Valley School District870*411**
Donegal School District502**488**
Eastern Lancaster County School District655*516**
Elizabethtown Area School District350**291***
Ephrata Area School District591*653*
Hempfield School District835*569*
Lampeter-Strasburg School District293**269***
Manheim Central School District493*213***
Manheim Township School District792*671*
Penn Manor School District1,360*1,460*
Pequea Valley School District610**320**
Solanco School District565*692*
Warwick School District475**301***
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough2***48***
Akron borough76***60***
Christiana borough16***37***
Columbia borough427*383**
Denver township111**41***
East Petersburg borough16***91***
Elizabethtown borough101***148***
Ephrata borough341**325***
Lititz borough102***12***
Manheim borough147***94***
Marietta borough114**70***
Millersville borough739**350**
Mount Joy borough201***283***
Mountville borough168***57***
New Holland borough120***153***
Quarryville borough98**107***
Strasburg borough73***57***
Terre Hill borough24***61***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township27***40***
Brecknock township216***57***
Caernarvon township95***49***
Clay township52***100***
Colerain township90***131**
Conestoga township40***30***
Conoy township95***59***
Drumore township36***48***
Earl township142***147***
East Cocalico township146***154***
East Donegal township153***135***
East Drumore township55***27***
East Earl township58***49***
East Hempfield township377**260**
East Lampeter township466**341**
Eden township67**26***
Elizabeth township54***48***
Ephrata township122**168***
Fulton township52***76***
Lancaster township706*289**
Leacock township51***69***
Little Britain township51***107***
Manheim township792*671*
Manor township408**927**
Martic township99***53***
Mount Joy township112***12***
Paradise township323***128***
Penn township143***91***
Pequea township74***100***
Providence township89***130***
Rapho township203**28***
Sadsbury township63**87**
Salisbury township236***123***
Strasburg township30***76***
Upper Leacock township186**46***
Warwick township319***241***
West Cocalico township135***86***
West Donegal township76***72***
West Earl township218**24***
West Hempfield township274***161***
West Lampeter township190***136***
Berks County10,8639,751
Chester County9,9268,333
Cumberland County4,6795,522
Dauphin County7,6087,503
Lebanon County3,4763,193
York County9,8027,905

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%.




INDICATORS TREND
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 English Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Not Applicable
Per-Student Spending Not Applicable
Students Receiving Special Education Services Not Applicable
Rate of Foster Care Admissions Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Plans of High School Graduates Not Applicable
Enrollment in Local Colleges Not Applicable
College Graduation Rates Not Applicable
Brain Drain/Gain Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Charitable Giving Not Applicable
Voter Registration Rate Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Not Applicable
Age of Housing Stock Not Applicable
Violent Crime Rate Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population Density Not Applicable
Air Quality Not Applicable
Water Use Not Applicable
Waterways Impaired by Pollution Not Applicable
Change in Population Not Applicable
Change in Population by Age and Gender Not Applicable
Population by Age Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Not Applicable
Language Diversity Not Applicable
Change in Total Jobs Not Applicable
Change in Employment by Sector Not Applicable
Sector Share of Total Jobs Not Applicable
Workers by Occupation Not Applicable
Change in Labor Force Not Applicable
People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Since 2010 Not Applicable
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Not Applicable
Employer Size Not Applicable
Change in Number of Businesses by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Total Agricultural Sales Not Applicable
Spending for Local Government Not Applicable
Spending for School Districts Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty Not Applicable
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Veterans Living in Poverty Not Applicable
Working Poor Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Median Household Income Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Stable Household Budget Cost Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance Not Applicable
Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch Not Applicable
Median Home Value Not Applicable
Occupied Housing Units Not Applicable
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Rent Not Applicable
Cost of Renting Not Applicable
Households Without Vehicles Not Applicable
Means of Transportation to Work, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Health Status Not Applicable
Rate of Depression Diagnosis Not Applicable
Adults Who are Overweight or Obese Not Applicable
Mortality Rates Not Applicable
Mortality Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Fatal Drug Overdoses Not Applicable
Cancer Incidence Not Applicable
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
High-Tech Jobs Not Applicable
STEM Graduates Not Applicable
Science and Engineering Research and Development Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults 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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