Price History
Median Home Price
Median Rent
Stored observations from 2016-07-31 to 2026-06-29. Source: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI. Missing rents are shown as gaps.
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Purchase
Monthly Cash Flow
* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.
Score Breakdown
Based on 4.72% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.
Based on 5.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.
Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.
Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.
Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.
Investment Outlook
Strengths
- +Strong price appreciation (+5.0% YoY)
- +Low unemployment (0.0%)
Challenges
- -Below-average rent-to-price ratio (4.72%)
- -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$1,043/mo)
- -Negative leverage (cap rate 3.1% < mortgage rate 6.9%)
Counties in Lancaster, PA
Section 8 in Lancaster, PA: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.
Compare to Similar Metros
| Metro Area | Verdict | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Picayune, MS Picayune, MS | 75 | $200,137 | $1,328 | 7.96% | Strong Buy | View | |
Poplar Bluff, MO Poplar Bluff, MO | 75 | $168,352 | $1,083 | 7.72% | Strong Buy | View | |
Batavia, NY Batavia, NY | 75 | $224,174 | Est. | Strong Buy | View | ||
Sturgis, MI Sturgis, MI | 75 | $219,027 | Est. | Strong Buy | View | ||
Lewistown, PA Lewistown, PA | 75 | $196,867 | Est. | Strong Buy | View | ||
Current Lancaster, PA | 55 | $388,207 | $1,526 | 4.72% | Hold |
Rent vs buy in this metro
The Bottom Line
The Lancaster, PA metro area scores 55/100, ranking #638 of 894 US metros (top 71%). The 4.72% rent-to-price ratio may require targeting specific counties or creative strategies for positive cash flow. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.