Main Street, 2010
South Lancaster’s story
173 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,742 in 2000, 1,642 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 8 maps from 1887 on.
- 1853South Lancaster is settled
South LancasterMA
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,177
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$421K
Census ACS
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
39.7
years
Jobs based here
167
A commuter town
Is South Lancaster a good place to live?
Of the 284 Massachusetts towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than South Lancaster. South Lancaster’s trail density is 0.3 miles per square mile, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. We don’t grade South Lancaster yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes South Lancaster stand out
Where South Lancaster beats most towns.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave South Lancaster for work
Where South Lancaster’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
167jobs based in South Lancaster
0%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Nearby attractions
All 257 attractions →Fenway Park and 157 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Lancaster. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw28 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
18 mi LakeWalden Pond
Big draw31 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
33 mi AttractionFreedom TrailSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to South Lancaster: who provides what
South Lancaster is unincorporated, so Worcester County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNational Grid33.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLancaster Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWorcester CountyWorcester County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLancaster Town ClerkTown of Lancaster; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes01523, 0156101523 97% · 01561 3%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South Lancaster.
Who lives here
Young adults are less common in South Lancaster than in Massachusetts
52% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 47% across Massachusetts. Adults 18 to 34 are 8% of residents (24% statewide); children under 18 are 31% of residents (19% statewide). South Lancaster’s age of the median resident stands at 39.7 years.
39.7median age · MA 40
| South Lancaster | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 52% | 47% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.7 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
South LancasterMassachusettsUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school28%
Some college14%
Associate’s2%
Bachelor’s43%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.4 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| South Lancaster | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.8% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.7% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.5% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.5% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.4% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.3% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.5% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.4% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 42.6% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.7% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,200, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
Top of a low hazard risk in South Lancaster: inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in South Lancaster, 45% come from inland flooding and 25% from hurricanes.
21risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesDrought
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
A smaller share of residents live below the poverty line in South Lancaster than in most of Massachusetts or the rest of the country
In South Lancaster, the average trip to work is 35 minutes. The median commute is under 16 miles. The top destinations are Boston (8%), Worcester (8%) and Leominster (5%).
0%work in town
| South Lancaster | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 1.3% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In South Lancaster0%
Boston8%
Worcester8%
Leominster5%
Lancaster4%
16 mi
median commute distance
167
jobs based in South Lancaster
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is South Lancaster’s year
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 16° and about 73 inches of snow falls in a winter.
73″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–37°
Spring36–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall41–62°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
13.1%conserved
13.1%
conserved · 112 of 853 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Parker Family Woods | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy South Lancaster is
Against the Massachusetts average, South Lancaster comes out ahead on 9 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. 83% of adults had a checkup this year in the town.
| South Lancaster | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 11% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 82% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 28% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | South Lancaster | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.8% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.1% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.5% |
Umass Memorial Healthalliance Hospitals
8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The median home in South Lancaster sells for about $530K
South Lancaster: 74% of households are owner-occupiers.
$530Kmedian sale price
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Lancaster
16pages on South Lancaster
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
9 within 15 miles of the center of South Lancaster
Quinsigamond Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Worcester9.8 mi$6,262 in-state tuitionUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolUniversity or college · Public · Worcester11.4 miFitchburg State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Fitchburg11.5 mi$11,346 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 South Lancaster residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
About South Lancaster
CDP in Massachusetts, United States
South Lancaster is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Lancaster and close to the Town of Clinton in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,642 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 285 ft
- ZIP code
- 01561
Questions about South Lancaster
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Lancaster, MA a good place to live?
We don’t grade South Lancaster yet; the figures below are still real.