Lancaster receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Depew
Lancaster
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 41%
vs50 · Bottom 37%
Growth
9 · Bottom 1%
vs23 · Bottom 10%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs80 · Top 25%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 10%
Schools
35 · Bottom 29%
vs55 · Top 45%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
62 · Top 45%
vs74 · Top 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Depew | Lancaster | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,000 | 10,113 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,556 | $66,148 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,098 | $41,240 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,955/sq mi | 3,721/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $196,500 | $202,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,061 | $969 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 76.3% | 73.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.1% | 26.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 6.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -100.0% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 40.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.5 min | 20.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.4 | 45.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.53 | 12.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.9% | 44.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 42.9% | 59.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 40.7% | 29.7% | 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
Depew
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Lancaster
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Depew, NY · Lancaster, NY · How this is calculated: methodology