Housing data for Ephrata, PA
Ephrata, PA has an estimated 13,772 residents and 6,095 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a borough in Lancaster County.
44.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,143 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−0.3%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 13,772 (±26)
- Housing units
- 6,095 (±314)
- Households that rent
- 44.4%
- Median gross rent
- $1,143
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −0.3%
What stands out in Ephrata
Homes heated by fuel oil: 35.6% (±4.1 points) in Ephrata, higher than in Lancaster County (16.2%).
Households that rent: 44.4% (±5.5 points) in Ephrata, higher than in Lancaster County (30.2%).
Working from home: 5.5% (±2.1 points) in Ephrata, lower than in Lancaster County (11.6%).
Median home value: $224,400 (±$12,093) in Ephrata, lower than in Lancaster County ($301,100).
- Heating fuel in Ephrata
- Renters and owners in Ephrata
- Commute and cars in Ephrata
- Home values in Ephrata
Housing in Ephrata at a glance
- Median rent: $1,143 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,106 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 39.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 44.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $69,735 median household income
- Home values: $224,400 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,511 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,349 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 17.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 60.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 49.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 22.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 23 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −0.3% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 23.1% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Ephrata against Lancaster County, its state and the nation
| Ephrata | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,772 (±26) | 557,931 (exact) | 13,018,639 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 6,095 (±314) | 219,224 (±92) | 5,806,452 (±672) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 44.4% (±5.5 points) | 30.2% (±0.8 points) | 30.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,143 (±$49) | $1,357 (±$20) | $1,209 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $69,735 (±$6,610) | $86,959 (±$1,323) | $77,971 (±$342) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $224,400 (±$12,093) | $301,100 (±$4,176) | $254,500 (±$767) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,349 (±$307) | $3,975 (±$49) | $3,311 (±$12) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 60.7% (±7.5 points) | 52.5% (±1.2 points) | 67.3% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 22.7 minutes (±2.1) | 23.8 minutes (±0.3) | 26.3 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 89.6% (±3.6 points) | 88.1% (±0.5 points) | 89.7% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.1 years (±1.8) | 39.4 years (±0.3) | 40.9 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Ephrata covers 3.4 square miles of land, about 4,029 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Ephrata has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,810 (±24) | 13,772 (±26) | −0.3% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 5,894 (±200) | 6,095 (±314) | +3.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $860 (±$31) | $1,143 (±$49) | +32.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $155,400 (±$5,801) | $224,400 (±$12,093) | +44.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $51,954 (±$5,062) | $69,735 (±$6,610) | +34.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,303 (±$68) | $1,511 (±$99) | +16.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,071 (±$127) | $3,349 (±$307) | +9.1% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 42.9% (±3.7 points) | 44.4% (±5.5 points) | +1.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.4% (±0.6 points) | 0.9% (±1.5 points) | +0.5 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 Ephrata
In 2025, the Ephrata Police Department reported 23 violent and 667 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Lancaster County, the departments that report recorded 95 violent and 643 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Ephrata
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 2.0 mi | $1,162 | $264,600 | 36.7% |
| Ephrata Township | 2.7 mi | $1,511 | $344,100 | 31.0% |
| West Earl Township | 3.8 mi | $1,326 | $319,200 | 18.2% |
| Reamstown | 4.0 mi | $1,206 | $321,400 | 23.7% |
| Rothsville | 4.1 mi | $1,125 | $313,700 | 20.9% |
| Clay | 4.1 mi | $1,033 | $277,400 | 40.7% |
| Denver | 4.2 mi | $1,195 | $242,400 | 26.5% |
| Brownstown (community) | 4.2 mi | $1,641 | $323,600 | 8.0% |
Places in Pennsylvania most like Ephrata
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Grove | $1,135 | $204,000 | $76,620 | 40.0% |
| Bath | $1,242 | $247,900 | $72,391 | 42.8% |
| New Oxford | $1,080 | $214,000 | $63,000 | 47.2% |
| Annville | $1,085 | $199,200 | $71,321 | 39.3% |
| Annville Township | $1,085 | $199,200 | $71,321 | 39.3% |
| East Berlin | $1,077 | $242,000 | $73,523 | 38.8% |
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 Pennsylvania.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Ephrata, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,152 | $1,256 | $1,553 | $1,978 | $2,041 |
HUD income limits for Ephrata, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,950 | $38,250 | $61,150 |
| 2 people | $26,200 | $43,700 | $69,900 |
| 3 people | $29,500 | $49,150 | $78,650 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $54,600 | $87,350 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $59,000 | $94,350 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $63,350 | $101,350 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $67,750 | $108,350 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $72,100 | $115,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lancaster, PA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $109,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
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 Ephrata
What is the average rent in Ephrata, PA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Ephrata is $1,143 (±$49) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Ephrata?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Ephrata, PA is $867 (±$85) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Ephrata rent-burdened?
39.2% of renting households in Ephrata pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Ephrata?
Ephrata has an estimated 2,685 (±351) renting households, 44.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Ephrata?
The median household income in Ephrata is $69,735 (±$6,610) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Ephrata, PA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $224,400 (±$12,093) for owner-occupied homes in Ephrata (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Ephrata growing?
In Ephrata, the number of residents went from 13,810 in 2015–2019 to 13,772 in 2020–2024 (−0.3%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ephrata borough, Pennsylvania
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ephrata borough, Pennsylvania
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ephrata borough, Pennsylvania
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ephrata borough, Pennsylvania
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ephrata borough, Pennsylvania
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Ephrata borough, Pennsylvania
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Ephrata borough, Pennsylvania
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Lancaster, PA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Lancaster, PA MSA
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Ephrata Police Department (ORI PA0360300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- 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 Ephrata borough, Pennsylvania (place:23832, in state:42).
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 .