Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Lancaster earns a D−, 601st among Texas's 640 graded towns, mostly because of safety. It reports more crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns, including 143 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. In its favor, it has 8 miles of trail. Lancaster’s peak summer temperature is 95°F, close to Texas’ towns (95°F) and above U.S. towns (85°F). Its National Register listings include Randlett House and W. A. Strain House. Lancaster's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns.
Where Lancaster beats most towns.
36,361 counted in 2010 and 41,275 in 2020; an estimated 40,526 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Lancaster is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 497 in 1880, 41,275 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1959 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lancaster. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaAT&T Stadium
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaCotton Bowl
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaGlobe Life Field
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaTexas Stadium
20 mi Theme parkSix Flags Over Texas
21 mi Stadium & arenaChoctaw StadiumAT&T Stadium: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cotton Bowl: Robbiewest88, Public domain · Globe Life Field: Drone To Fly, CC BY 3.0 · Texas Stadium: Allspamme, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Six Flags Over Texas: Chris Hagerman from New Port Richey, FL, US, CC BY 2.0 · Choctaw Stadium: KENGRIFFEY24FAN, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lancaster, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Lancaster.
Lancaster has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has home values still below their peak, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Reported crimes fell from 1,433 to 982 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Lancaster is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. The rate of thefts and burglaries in the town is 20.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Lancaster | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20.6 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Of its 17 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Its public schools are run by Lancaster ISD. Also worth knowing: the 6 public schools in Lancaster teach 3,570 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 908 | C |
| Lancaster H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,255 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Jobs based here grew from 8,713 in 2013 to 12,987.
For half of commuters, work is under 18 miles away. Jobs in Lancaster grew by 4,274 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 12,987. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in the town. The top destinations are Dallas (36%), Irving (5%) and Fort Worth (4%).
| Lancaster | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The share of adults in Lancaster who had a checkup this year: 79%. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Lancaster is ahead of Texas on 3 and behind on 13. Two figures for adults in the town: 19% have been diagnosed with depression, 42% have obesity.
| Lancaster | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 20% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 36% |
| What stands out | Lancaster | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.5% | 6.1% |
| Fewer adults with depression | 18.6% | 21.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17.9% | 10.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest park or preserve is Lancaster City Park, at 24 acres. 7.7 miles of trail wind through 7 parks and preserves. Its density of trails comes in at 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Lancaster | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.9% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lancaster City Park | — | 24 |
| 2. Cedardale Park | — | 12 |
| 3. Spies Roberts Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Waxahachie weather station, 12 miles away, records that about 96 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.4°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36.5°.
In Lancaster, the January low is 37°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Texas average. In Lancaster, the median age is 35.7 years. 28% of Lancaster residents are under 18.
| Lancaster | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 28% | 26% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 14% | 18% |
| Median age | 35.7 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 23% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.6 points. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Lancaster | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.1% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.1% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.1% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.4% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.7% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.5% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.6% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.1% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.5% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.2% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.8% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
117 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 15 properties have flooded more than once.
The national flood insurance program has paid 117 claims in Lancaster since 1979. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 58% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 33% come from heat waves and 33% from inland flooding. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $269K, is 9% below its August 2022 peak. 68.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.7% across Texas.
A home in Lancaster typically sold within 42 days of listing. In the year to September 2026, typical home values slipped 1.8%. Its typical rent stands at $1,704 a month.
| Lancaster | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,704 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9 within 15 miles of the center of Lancaster
About 6 of every 100 Lancaster residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
Where Lancaster’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Lancaster on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Lancaster.
City in Texas, United States
Lancaster ( LANK-is-tər) is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. Its population was 41,275 according to the 2020 census. Founded in 1852 as a frontier post, Lancaster is one of Dallas County's earliest settlements. Today, it is a suburban community located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, about 15 mi (24 km) south of downtown Dallas. Lancaster is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes Lancaster, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Duncanville.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Lancaster.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lancaster grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #601 of 640 in Texas. It grades C for health, D for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($90,275 across the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
4 notable people were born here, including Gene Moore and Jacques Reeves.
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