Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.5 | 558,589 people · 51st most distressed in Pennsylvania
American Default Research

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Lancaster County, PA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.5 — 2176th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Pennsylvania, it ranks 51st of 67 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lancaster County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 74.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 74.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 75
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 84
Homeownership Rate 71
Rent-to-Income Ratio 66
Employment & Wages 52.3
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 62
Community Vulnerability 43.0
Uninsured Rate 71
Disability Rate 15
Debt & Delinquency 29.6
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 39
Student Loan Delinquency 26
Auto Loan Delinquency 27
Credit Card Delinquency 35
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22
Income & Poverty 13.1
Poverty Rate 10
Income vs. State Median 12
Child Poverty Rate 17

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Lancaster County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lancaster County
Lancaster County, PA 42.5 Normal —
Berks County, PA 53.7 Elevated +11.2
Dauphin County, PA 49.3 Normal +6.8
Cecil County, MD 48.4 Normal +5.9
Lebanon County, PA 47.1 Normal +4.6
York County, PA 38.4 Normal -4.1
Harford County, MD 34.4 Healthy -8.1
Chester County, PA 23.8 Healthy -18.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lancaster County
Fort Bend County, TX 42.4 Normal -0.1
Rockland County, NY 42.4 Normal -0.1
Kane County, IL 42.3 Normal -0.2
Sonoma County, CA 42.7 Normal +0.2
Denver County, CO 42.7 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Lancaster County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Lancaster County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Lancaster County.

BASE,INC.
Lancaster
717-392-5467
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseRental Help
Tenfold
Lancaster
717-397-5182 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing

See all counselors in Pennsylvania →

Find an Attorney

Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-932-0311

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Lancaster County residents at no cost.

Community Legal Services of Philadelphia 215-981-3700
MidPenn Legal Services 1-800-326-9177
Neighborhood Legal Services Association 412-255-6700
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN)
Laurel Legal Services, Inc. (800) 253-9558
Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (877) 429-5994
North Penn Legal Services, Inc. (877) 953-4250
Northwestern Legal Services (814) 452-6957
Philadelphia Legal Assistance Center (215) 981-3800
Summit Legal Aid (800) 846-0871

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Pennsylvania →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?

    Lancaster County has a County Distress Index score of 42.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,176th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 51st in Pennsylvania out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lancaster County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lancaster County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 74.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Lancaster County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lancaster County (42.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Berks County, PA (53.7); Dauphin County, PA (49.3); Cecil County, MD (48.4).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Lancaster County?

    Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has a population of approximately 558,589 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.