Lake Lenape, Delaware Water Gap, 1890
Lake City’s story
163 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,077 in 1930, 2,935 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 5 maps from 1900 on.
- 1863Lake City is settled
Lake CityPA
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Dasandman008 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,842
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Typical home
$211K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
34.5
years
Jobs based here
1,020
Balanced
TownGrade
B+
#440 of 1032 in PA
Is Lake City a good place to live?
Lake City gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $211K for a typical one, or 3.3 years of the Erie metro’s $63K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 440th of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. On the plus side, its public schools beat 76% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation. 31% of residents are under 18 in Lake City, above both the Pennsylvania town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%).
What makes Lake City stand out
Where Lake City beats most towns.
How Lake City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Lake City is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 9% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →Jobs & income$75K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.4 of 20; 4.6% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →HealthUniversity Hospitals Conneaut Medical Center 13.5 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 4% conserved landB−Open →HistoryC+Open →Civic life2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lake City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake City, and how to reach them.
PowerPenelecEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterLake City Boro Munic WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lake City’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereErie County Board of ElectionsErie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2020
ZIP code1642316423 100%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 Lake City.
Lake City pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Top of a very low hazard risk in Lake City: inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Lake City, 78% come from inland flooding and 6% from strong winds. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities. Paid flood insurance claims here since 1981: 7.
9risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong wind
7
paid flood claims since 1981
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsA−
For schools, Lake City earns an A−
That grade comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $211K.
Public schools: Girard SD. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Lake City’s public school: 526 students.
76%of PA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Valley El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 526 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade B+
For cost of living, Lake City earns a B+
Lake City’s going rate for rent stands at $871 a month. Zillow values the typical Lake City home at about $211,000, up 3.4% in a year, 27% below the Pennsylvania typical home. In Lake City, 84% of households own their home.
$211KZillow home value
| Lake City | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $871 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lake City$211K
Pennsylvania$287K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
More children than Pennsylvania overall
The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Lake City at 2,842 residents, down 3% since 2020. Lake City’s median age is 34.5 years. 13% of residents are 65 or older here. Here, 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 35% in Pennsylvania as a whole.
34.5median age · PA 40.9
| Lake City | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.5 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 21% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 29% | 29% |
Lake CityPennsylvaniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school40%
Some college14%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s10%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.9 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 77% are men (PA 51%).
| Lake City | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.2% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.8% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.4% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.7% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.2% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.6% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.9% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.3% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 9.8% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.8% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,800, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Lake City has snowy winters and pleasant summers
The Erie Intl Ap weather station, 9 miles away, records that 104 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
The peak summer temperature for Lake City comes to 80°F.
104″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–36°
Spring38–56°
Summer61–78°
Fall46–61°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Lake City has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Half commute less than 14 miles. Jobs based in Lake City grew to 1,020 in 2023, 72 more than in 2013. Also worth knowing: for most workers, Lake City is a place to come home to: only 7% work in town. The share of residents in Lake City who live below the poverty line: 11%.
7%work in town
| Lake City | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lake City7%
Erie24%
Millcreek Township14%
Fairview Township12%
Girard7%
14 mi
median commute distance
1,020
jobs based in Lake City
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC+
Health in Lake City trails 62% of U.S. towns
Lake City: one in ten adults have diabetes. In Lake City, nearly a fifth of adults report frequent mental distress, and 25% have been diagnosed with depression.
39%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Lake City | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better24 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Lake City | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 20.5% | 15.8% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 18.9% | 16.4% |
University Hospitals Conneaut Medical Center
13.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
24th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
4.1%conserved
4.1%
conserved · 48 of 1,149 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cherry Park | — | 2 |
| 2. Lake City Park | — | 1 |
| 3. Railroad Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Lake Erie and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw37 mi LakeLake Erie
16 mi State parkPresque Isle State Park12 mi Theme parkWaldameer Park
20 mi LandmarkFort Le Boeuf
27 mi Theme parkConneaut Lake Park14 mi Theme parkSplash LagoonSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Erie: NOAA, Public domain · Presque Isle State Park: Ruhrfisch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Le Boeuf: Charles M. Stotz ?, Public domain · Conneaut Lake Park: daveynin from United States, CC BY 2.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lake City
18pages on Lake City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lake City
About 1 of every 100 Lake City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Lake City
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Lake City is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,936 at the 2020 census. As of the 2025 census estimates the population had decreased to 2,824. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1863
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 722 ft
- ZIP code
- 16423
- Area code
- 814
Lake City’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Lake City.
Girard TownshipGirardLake City
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake City | #440 | B+ | B+ | — | A− | C+ |
| Girard Township | #476 | B+ | B | — | A− | B− |
| Girard | #176 | A | A | B+ | A− | B− |
Lake City and Girard Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lake City with a neighbor →
Questions about Lake City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake City, PA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Lake City grades B+ overall, better than 71% of U.S. towns and #440 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C+ for health and A− for schools.
Is Lake City, PA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.