US Metro Real Estate Intelligence
Rankings/Lancaster, PA

Lancaster, PA

Below AverageTier 1CBSA 29540Compare
Risk Rank: #258 of 274Month: 2026-06Score change (12m): -3
32score
Composite risk percentile vs 274 metros (higher = higher risk)

Executive Summary

Lancaster's housing market shows below-average risk, ranking 258th of 274 metros. The market recently entered Expansion. Current conditions are balanced with stable liquidity. Broad-based growth with healthy fundamentals.

Lancaster experienced a market correction from early 2025 through early 2025. The market has since normalized and entered Expansion.

Inventory is growing at a moderate +9% pace with homes taking -3% longer to sell — within normal ranges.

Rent growth is roughly keeping pace with price appreciation, suggesting valuations are not stretched.

Cycle Phase

RecoveryExpansionHypersupplyRecession
2 months in current phase·from Expansion

Normal growth conditions with balanced fundamentals

20192020202120222023202420252026

Key Dynamics

Risk is primarily driven by price momentum and migration, while permit growth provides the most support.

Top Drivers

Price Momentump90
12-month HPI change
Migrationp37
Net AGI migration (risk inverted)
Employmentp27
12-month employment change (risk inverted)

Market Signals

Inventory is growing at a moderate +9% pace with homes taking -3% longer to sell — within normal ranges.

Liquidity

Stable
Active Listings YoY
+8.9%p58
Days on Market YoY
-3.3%p40
Months in status2
Data through Jun 2026

Valuation

Balanced
Rent vs. Price Growth
+0.5%p71
Months in status2
Data through Jun 2026Rent growth vs price growth (rent support). Note: Affordability and Valuation measure different structural dimensions and can diverge.
Factor Details
Lower riskHigher risk
Low RiskBelow AvgNeutralElevatedHigh Risk
Price MomentumHigh Risk
+3.2%p90

12-month HPI change — higher = overheating

Permit GrowthLow Risk
-41.4%p2

YoY permit change — higher = supply pressure

Permits per CapitaLow Risk
1.90p16

Permits per 1,000 residents — higher = overbuilding risk

AffordabilityBelow Avg
0.25p21

Mortgage payment / income — higher = more burdened

EmploymentBelow Avg
+1.0%p27

12-month employment change (risk inverted)

MigrationBelow Avg
+$36Kp37

Net AGI migration (risk inverted)

National Context

Credit Conditions

Credit Regime

Stable

Normal expansion. Credit is available, transactions are healthy — no constraints on current growth momentum.

Bank Lending Standards
N/ANormal
Rate Change (YoY)
-5 bpsNormal
Mortgage Risk Premium
+194 bpsElevated
Stable for 10 quartersData through 2026-Q3

Supply Pipeline

Supply Regime

Accumulating

Supply pipeline is building up while credit remains available. New units are accumulating in the system — watch for delivery pressure in coming quarters.

Pipeline Ratio
0.90Elevated
Completion-Permit Divergence
-3.1 ppNormal
Accumulating for 5 quartersData through 2026-Q2
Local Signals

Metro Permit Activity

Permit Activity

Cooling
YoY Permit Growth
-41.4%Below norm

Raw signal — not the composite percentile

Relative to 2016–2019 norms for this metro

Based on limited permit volume

Builders are pulling back but demand remains healthy. A supply constraint could form — fewer new units entering a market that is still absorbing well.

Employment Concentration

Employment

Diversified
Largest SectorHealth Care 17.3%
QCEW 2024 annual averages
Internal Structure

County-level structural analysis.

County-level structural analysis is not available for this metro due to fewer than 3 qualifying counties.

Score History
MonthScore
2026-0533
2025-1244
2025-1033
2025-0935
2025-0735
2025-0635
2025-0438
2025-0331
2025-0229
2025-0128
2024-1137
2024-1036
2024-0834
2024-0635
2024-0432
2024-0341
2024-0141
2023-1136
2023-0938
2023-0743
2023-0544
2023-0239
2022-1235
2022-1135
2022-0927
2022-0827
2022-0630
2022-0329
2022-0229
2021-1227
2021-1129
2021-0930
2021-0619
2021-0329
2020-1229
2020-1130
2020-0936
2020-0634
2020-0435
2020-0230
2019-1224
2019-1124
2019-0928
2019-0832
2019-0629
2019-0331
2019-0127
Data Vintages
Price (HPI)2026-Q1
Permits2026-06
Income2024
Employment2026-06
Migration2023