Lancaster Court House Historic District · National Register of Historic Places
Lancaster’s story
133 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1893Lancaster is settled
LancasterVA
A town of 20, settled in 1893.
Photo: Ser Amantio di Nicolao at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
20
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$339K
+7.4% in a year
Median age
39.0
years
Land area
2 sq mi
Is Lancaster a good place to live?
Lancaster’s trail network density is 2.7 miles per square mile, above both the Virginia town median (0.7) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). St. Mary's Whitechapel and Belle Isle is on the National Register of Historic Places. Lancaster has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
20 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Lancaster: who provides what
Lancaster is unincorporated, so Lancaster County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDominion Energy15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLancaster Courthouse water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLancaster CountyLancaster County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLancaster General RegistrarLancaster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2022
ZIP code2250322503 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lancaster.
Outdoors
17.8% of the land in Lancaster is protected from building
5.9 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. Hickory Hollow State Natural Area Preserve, at 240 acres with 4.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
17.8%conserved
17.8%
conserved · 250 of 1,403 acres
5.9 mi
of trails · 2.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hickory Hollow State Natural Area Preserve | 4.3 mi | 240 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Lancaster’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. The Lancaster County Public Schools runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Lancaster High, with 402 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Middle-High SchoolLargest public school before high school | – | – | |
| Lancaster HighLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 402 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
12″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–50°
Spring46–68°
Summer67–86°
Fall50–70°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Lancaster’s typical home value is about $339K
Typical home values rose 7.4% in the year to September 2026.
$339KZillow home value
Typical home value
Lancaster$339K
Virginia$412K
+7.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Lancaster is
Among adults in Lancaster, 21% have been diagnosed with depression, against 22% in Virginia’s towns and 23% across U.S. towns. In Lancaster, just over two in five adults have high blood pressure. 15% of adults in the town have diabetes; 21% worry about having enough food.
| Lancaster | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
0 better17 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Lancaster | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.2% | 11.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.4% | 7.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.4% | 13.1% |
Rappahannock General Hospital
5.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Lancaster, mostly hurricanes
One declared disaster, in 2003, has brought federal aid to Lancaster households. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in just over half of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Lancaster break down as 44% from hurricanes and 25% from drought.
49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesDroughtInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lancaster
16pages on Lancaster
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lancaster; the nearest are
Rappahannock Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Glenns16.6 mi$5,102 in-state tuitionSt. Mary's College of MarylandUniversity or college · Public · St. Mary's City, MD29.6 mi$15,298 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Lancaster residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
About Lancaster
Unincorporated community in Virginia, United States
Lancaster is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lancaster County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, and is also known as Lancaster Courthouse or by an alternative spelling, Lancaster Court House. The community was first drawn as a CDP prior to the 2020 census and had a population of 105 at the said census. Lancaster lies along Virginia State Route 3, 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Warsaw and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Kilmarnock, the largest community in Lancaster County. Belle Isle and the Lancaster Court House Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 79 ft
- ZIP code
- 22503
Questions about Lancaster
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lancaster, VA a good place to live?
Lancaster has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.