Useful for screening
Population, income, rent and home-value medians provide a consistent first comparison across markets.
Lancaster,
rental market profile.
The typical rent in Lancaster, PA is $1,564 a month, up 4.1% from a year earlier.
Current market, September 2026.
Typical rent$1,564+4.1% vs. a year earlier
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-bed$1,553FY2027 · second-source check
Data: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) and Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), September 2026; smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Typical values sit in the middle of the local market; rent covers houses and apartments. Updated monthly. Second source: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rent for Lancaster, PA MSA (40th-percentile gross rent, including utilities).
Five-year trend in Lancaster.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical rent |
|---|---|
| Sep 2021 | $1,191 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,323 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,395 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,454 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,503 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,564 |
Monthly Zillow Observed Rent Index and Home Value Index, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Each chart has its own scale, which does not start at zero, so small changes are visible.
Rent by number of bedrooms.
HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Lancaster, PA MSA: the 40th-percentile gross rent, utilities included, for the whole area. Rents inside Lancaster can be higher or lower. Source: HUD Fair Market Rents.
Census profile, 2020–2024: population, income and long-run medians
Population57.7KACS estimate
Median household income$63,690annual
Median gross rent$1,240monthly
Median home value$219,500owner-occupied
Median property tax$3,404annual · owner-occupied
Effective tax reference1.55%median tax ÷ median value
State HO-3 premium$1,2172023 homeowner reference
Housing vacancy4.7%all housing units
Gross rent-to-value6.78%annual rent ÷ home value
Rent-to-income reference23.4%annual rent ÷ income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates. Estimates cover 2020–2024. Insurance context: NAIC 2023 Homeowners Insurance Report. Ratios are derived from area medians and are not a property cap rate, affordability decision, insurance quote or expected return.
How Lancaster compares.
Lancaster’s median gross rent is 2.6% above the Pennsylvania median, while its median owner-occupied home value is 13.8% below the state reference. Median household income is 18.3% below the statewide estimate.
The gross rent-to-value reference is 6.78%. It simply annualizes the area’s median gross rent and divides it by the area’s median home value. It does not subtract vacancy, taxes, insurance, maintenance, management, financing or capital reserves.
| Metric | CityLancaster | StatePennsylvania | CountryUnited States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,240 | $1,209 | $1,413 |
| Median home value | $219,500 | $254,500 | $332,700 |
| Household income | $63,690 | $77,971 | $80,734 |
| Median annual property tax | $3,404 | $3,311 | $3,119 |
| Housing vacancy | 4.7% | 9.2% | 10.1% |
| Rent vs baseline | — | +2.6% | -12.2% |
Test a Lancaster baseline.
Load the area medians for purchase price, rent and annual property tax, then replace every assumption with property-specific figures and current quotes.
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Check the rent for a specific Lancaster address.
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What this profile can—and cannot—tell you.
Use area data to compare markets before researching a specific address.
Property facts still matter
Verify achievable rent, taxes, insurance, condition, financing and local rules for the exact property.
Vacancy needs context
The ACS figure covers all housing units. It is not the vacancy allowance to enter in rental underwriting.
Questions about Lancaster.
What is the average rent in Lancaster, PA?
The typical asking rent in Lancaster, PA is $1,564 a month, according to Zillow's Observed Rent Index for September 2026, which covers houses and apartments. The Census Bureau's median gross rent for 2020–2024, which includes utilities and long-standing leases, is $1,240. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in the area is $1,553.
Is rent going up or down in Lancaster?
Rent is rising. The typical rent is $1,564, up 4.1% from $1,503 a year earlier.