Housing data for South Lancaster, MA
South Lancaster, MA has an estimated 2,177 residents and 871 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Worcester County.
25.7% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,893 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,177 (±688)
- Housing units
- 871 (±246)
- Households that rent
- 25.7%
- Median gross rent
- $1,893
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +33.6%
What stands out in South Lancaster
Working from home: 42.8% (±21.3 points) in South Lancaster, higher than in Worcester County (15.6%).
Homes heated by fuel oil: 61.9% (±16.0 points) in South Lancaster, higher than in Worcester County (37.9%).
Median real estate taxes: $6,505 (±$388) in South Lancaster, higher than in Worcester County ($5,438).
Average commute: 35.4 minutes (±4.6) in South Lancaster, higher than in Worcester County (29.2 minutes).
Housing in South Lancaster at a glance
- Median rent: $1,893 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 63.5% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 25.7% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $109,173 median household income
- Home values: $421,400 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,504 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $6,505 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 7.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 76.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 76.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 61.9% heat with fuel oil or kerosene
- Commute and cars: 35.4 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +33.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 9.7% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
South Lancaster against Worcester County, its state and the nation
| South Lancaster | Worcester County | Massachusetts | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,177 (±688) | 867,788 (exact) | 7,044,056 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 871 (±246) | 355,185 (±112) | 3,030,406 (±453) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 25.7% (±16.0 points) | 34.2% (±0.5 points) | 37.5% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,893 (±$1,639) | $1,426 (±$19) | $1,762 (±$9) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $109,173 (±$40,773) | $95,939 (±$1,131) | $103,960 (±$527) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $421,400 (±$102,171) | $423,700 (±$3,371) | $562,100 (±$2,169) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $6,505 (±$388) | $5,438 (±$56) | $5,992 (±$18) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 76.6% (±26.5 points) | 63.8% (±1.0 points) | 67.4% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 35.4 minutes (±4.6) | 29.2 minutes (±0.4) | 29.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 100.0% (±5.0 points) | 92.9% (±0.4 points) | 92.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 39.7 years (±7.7) | 40.2 years (±0.2) | 40.0 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
South Lancaster covers 1.3 square miles of land, about 1,642 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How South Lancaster has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,630 (±427) | 2,177 (±688) | +33.6% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 895 (±190) | 871 (±246) | −2.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Median home value | $277,700 (±$22,486) | $421,400 (±$102,171) | +51.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $66,786 (±$27,553) | $109,173 (±$40,773) | +63.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,054 (±$323) | $2,504 (±$386) | +21.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $4,880 (±$640) | $6,505 (±$388) | +33.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 47.0% (±16.0 points) | 25.7% (±16.0 points) | −21.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±9.3 points) | 0.0% (±18.1 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Worcester County
South Lancaster has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Worcester County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Worcester County recorded 305 violent and 791 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in South Lancaster
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01561 | 100% | 0 | — | — | — |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near South Lancaster
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton (community) | 1.4 mi | $1,415 | $375,600 | 52.1% |
| Clinton | 1.8 mi | $1,402 | $387,300 | 45.3% |
| Sterling | 4.1 mi | $1,699 | $498,800 | 13.7% |
| Berlin | 4.8 mi | $2,420 | $616,600 | 22.7% |
| Bolton | 4.9 mi | $1,583 | $796,000 | 5.3% |
| Boylston | 5.7 mi | $2,032 | $578,600 | 20.8% |
| West Boylston | 6.5 mi | $1,261 | $440,000 | 22.1% |
| Leominster | 6.9 mi | $1,354 | $380,400 | 37.7% |
Places in Massachusetts most like South Lancaster
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman | $1,771 | $472,700 | $108,933 | 28.6% |
| Rockland | $1,610 | $472,900 | $112,405 | 23.5% |
| Buzzards Bay | $1,484 | $454,500 | $94,388 | 24.3% |
| Sturbridge (community) | $2,009 | $418,400 | $131,568 | 16.7% |
| Bellingham | $1,836 | $450,700 | $125,307 | 21.1% |
| Hopedale (community) | $1,805 | $424,800 | $107,909 | 25.4% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Massachusetts.
HUD Fair Market Rent for South Lancaster, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,740 | $1,910 | $2,499 | $3,424 | $3,736 |
HUD income limits for South Lancaster, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $32,150 | $53,550 | $74,800 |
| 2 people | $36,750 | $61,200 | $85,450 |
| 3 people | $41,350 | $68,850 | $96,150 |
| 4 people | $45,900 | $76,500 | $106,800 |
| 5 people | $49,600 | $82,650 | $115,350 |
| 6 people | $53,250 | $88,750 | $123,900 |
| 7 people | $56,950 | $94,900 | $132,450 |
| 8 people | $60,600 | $101,000 | $141,000 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Eastern Worcester County, MA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $149,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
South Lancaster is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
It lies inside Lancaster, whose figures include it.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about South Lancaster
What is the median household income in South Lancaster?
The median household income in South Lancaster is $109,173 (±$40,773) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in South Lancaster, MA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $421,400 (±$102,171) for owner-occupied homes in South Lancaster (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in South Lancaster?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in South Lancaster, MA is $2,504 (±$386) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in South Lancaster?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in South Lancaster, MA is $6,505 (±$388) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in South Lancaster?
South Lancaster, MA has an estimated 871 (±246) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How old are most homes in South Lancaster?
76.6% of homes in South Lancaster, MA were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is South Lancaster growing?
In South Lancaster, the number of residents went from 1,630 in 2015–2019 to 2,177 in 2020–2024 (+33.6%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in South Lancaster?
The ZIP code that covers South Lancaster is 01561.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — South Lancaster CDP, Massachusetts
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — South Lancaster CDP, Massachusetts
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — South Lancaster CDP, Massachusetts
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — South Lancaster CDP, Massachusetts
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — South Lancaster CDP, Massachusetts
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — South Lancaster CDP, Massachusetts
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — South Lancaster CDP, Massachusetts
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Eastern Worcester County, MA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Eastern Worcester County, MA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for South Lancaster CDP, Massachusetts (place:64460, in state:25).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .