Area Demographics
Lancaster, Depew and Elma are the focus of ourChamber of Commerce. Research data is the key to making informed business decisions. We want to share these key points with you.
Lancaster, Depew and Elma are the focus of ourChamber of Commerce. Research data is the key to making informed business decisions. We want to share these key points with you.
The Town of Lancaster has grown in population over the last 35 years and faces many of the challenges associated with second-ring suburban communities.
The Town of Lancaster is seeking to maintain harmony between those qualities that drew residents there in the first place (e.g. open space, award-winning schools, great neighborhoods, etc.) and the increased demands and pressures that a growing population brings with it (e.g. traffic congestion, adequate fire/emergency services coverage, demand for public recreational facilities, etc.)
POPULATION TRENDS
The Town of Lancaster’s population, including the Village of Lancaster and the portion of the Village of Depew located in Lancaster, was 41,604 in 2010. 1 The 2015 American Community Survey (ACS) estimates that the Town’s population continues to show signs of growth with an estimated population of 42,492.
This represents an increase of approximately 888 residents from 2010 (a 2% growth). In comparison, the population of Erie County remained essentially the same over that time period.
Lancaster experienced strong growth over the past few decades. From 1980 to 2015 the population of the Town of Lancaster’s population grew by an estimated 12,348 residents, an increase of approximately 41% over a period when the County lost approximately 9% of its population.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Over half (54.1%) of residents in the Town of Lancaster are working-aged adults (ages 25 to 64). Children and college aged persons (ages 0 to 24) comprise nearly another third of the population (30.7%). The remaining 15% of the population are seniors aged 65 or older. The age distribution in Lancaster is similar to that of Erie County, although there are slightly fewer seniors (16.2%) and slightly more working aged adults (52.72%) in the County. The proportion of seniors in the Town of Lancaster has not drastically increased since the year 2000. In 2000, seniors aged 65 and older accounted for 14.4% of the Town’s population, compared to the 15.1% in 2015.
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Median household income in the Town of Lancaster was estimated at $67,223 in 2015, up from $63,314 in 2010. This median household income level was significantly higher than Erie County as a whole, where it was estimated to be at $51,247 and it was dramatically higher than the $31,918 median household income found in the City of Buffalo.
