Lancaster City is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, home to about 57,719 people across 7.2 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 17602 and 17603, and parts of 17601 are in Lancaster City too.
Homes sold for a median of $194 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly Lancaster City; also West Lampeter and East Lampeter
Mostly Lancaster City; also Lancaster Township (Lancaster County) and Manor
Mostly Manheim; part is in Lancaster City
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Lancaster City. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Lancaster City’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)58 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lancaster Airport (LNS)6 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Baltimore, MD53 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA63 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Lancaster City; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Lancaster City had 58,039 residents in the 2020 census, up 3% since 2000.
It’s the 12th largest of 2,568 towns in Pennsylvania by population.
Lancaster County grew from 159,241 residents in 1900 to 552,984 in 2020.
Lancaster County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 22°F. About 44.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 21 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lancaster 2ne Fltr Plt, PA weather station (3 miles away).
249,379 jobs at 13,776 businesses in Lancaster County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1,737 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Lancaster City’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 239 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 314 |
| Dentists | 85 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 369 |
| Mental health providers | 515 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 179 |
| Optometrists | 10 |
| Chiropractors | 26 |
| Pharmacies | 40 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (27 nearby)
Grocery stores (7 nearby)
Pharmacies (6 nearby)
Libraries (4 nearby)
Museums (9 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (7 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1730.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Lancaster SD, Manheim Township SD, Hempfield SD and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burrowes El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 308 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Carter and MacRae El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 444 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Fulton El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 274 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Hamilton El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 339 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| King El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 413 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Lafayette El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 437 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Martin SchoolLancaster | Pre-K–8 | 623 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Price El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 331 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| Ross El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 281 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Smith-Wade-El El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 397 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Washington El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 467 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Wharton El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 327 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Wickersham El SchLancaster | Pre-K–5 | 402 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Brecht SchLancaster | K–4 | 236 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Bucher SchLancaster | K–4 | 403 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Centerville El SchLancaster | K–6 | 544 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Fritz El SchLancaster | K–5 | 526 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Hambright El SchLancaster | K–6 | 574 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Lampeter-Strasburg Early Childhood CenterLancaster | K | 185 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Leola El SchLancaster | K–5 | 287 | Public | 5.9 mi |
| Nitrauer SchLancaster | K–4 | 468 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Rohrerstown El SchLancaster | K–6 | 457 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Schaeffer SchLancaster | K–4 | 318 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Smoketown El SchLancaster | K–5 | 470 | Public | 5.6 mi |
| Landis Run Intermediate SchoolLancaster | 5–6 | 929 | Public | 4.5 mi |
| Gerald G Huesken MSLancaster | 6–8 | 851 | Public | 5.4 mi |
| Jackson MSLancaster | 6–8 | 524 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| La Academia Partnership CSLancaster | 6–12 | 196 | Charter | 1.3 mi |
| Lincoln MSLancaster | 6–8 | 465 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Phoenix AcademyLancaster | 6–12 | 305 | Public | 1.2 mi |
And 8 more.
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindercare Learning CenterLancaster | Pre-K–K | 80 | Nonsectarian | 4.3 mi |
| Lancaster Country Day SchoolLancaster | Pre-K–12 | 558 | Nonsectarian | 1.1 mi |
| Montessori Academy of LancasterLancaster | Pre-K–6 | 108 | Nonsectarian | 4.2 mi |
| New School MontessoriLancaster | Pre-K–8 | 88 | Nonsectarian | 0.3 mi |
| Resurrection Catholic SchoolLancaster | Pre-K–8 | 108 | Roman Catholic | 1.4 mi |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus SchoolLancaster | Pre-K–8 | 148 | Roman Catholic | 0.4 mi |
| St John Neumann Catholic SchoolLancaster | Pre-K–8 | 186 | Roman Catholic | 4.0 mi |
| St Leo the Great SchoolLancaster | Pre-K–8 | 307 | Roman Catholic | 2.8 mi |
| The Jenkins SchoolLancaster | Pre-K–K | 18 | Nonsectarian | 3.9 mi |
| Way of Jesus AcademyLancaster | Pre-K–12 | 97 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.0 mi |
| Lancaster Friends SchoolLancaster | TK–8 | 33 | Friends (Quaker) | 1.8 mi |
| Chesterbrook AcademyLancaster | K | 9 | Nonsectarian | 3.4 mi |
| Solvit AcademyLancaster | K–7 | 35 | Nonsectarian | 0.8 mi |
| Solvit Academy IncLancaster | K–7 | 31 | Nonsectarian | 0.8 mi |
| Wonder AcademyLancaster | K | 17 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 0.7 mi |
| Greenland Amish SchoolLancaster | 1–8 | 23 | Amish | 5.5 mi |
| Anchor Christian AcademyLancaster | 7–12 | 113 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 3.0 mi |
| River Rock Academy - LancasterLancaster | 7–12 | 22 | Nonsectarian | 2.2 mi |
| Stone Independent SchoolLancaster | 7–12 | 115 | Nonsectarian | 1.5 mi |
| Lancaster Catholic High SchoolLancaster | 9–12 | 492 | Roman Catholic | 1.9 mi |
| Rocky Ridge SchoolLancaster | Ungraded | 29 | Amish | 6.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Manheim, Lancaster Township (Lancaster County), West Lampeter, East Hempfield, East Lampeter, Manor, Pequea, West Hempfield and Strasburg Township.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.