17603 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
17603
17602
Opportunity
72 · Top 17%
vs71 · Top 19%
Growth
55 · Top 42%
vs55 · Top 42%
Climate
64 · Bottom 34%
vs64 · Bottom 34%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 46%
vs62 · Top 46%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 35%
vs87 · Top 39%
Schools
46 · Bottom 43%
vs39 · Bottom 33%
Access
88 · Bottom 35%
vs86 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability
65 · Top 39%
vs63 · Top 43%
Measured values
| Metric | 17603 | 17602 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,571 | 52,217 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,084 | $75,862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,414 | $36,791 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,253/sq mi | 2,126/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $262,400 | $271,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,355 | $1,326 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.9% | 58.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.3% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.7% | 31.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 56 | 56 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.1" | 42.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.7 min | 25.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.45 | 11.96 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 20.1% | 15.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.7% | 28.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 90.8% | 87.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
17603
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
17602
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 17603 — Lancaster, PA · 17602 — Lancaster, PA · How this is calculated: methodology