Land for Sale in Lancaster, PA

The median sale price of a Lancaster home is $256,000, and prices have changed 0.19% from a year earlier. Much of the city's housing is 19th-century brick rowhomes, so a renovated rowhome near Penn Square and a larger detached home at the city's edge can sell for very different prices.

Yes, homes in the City of Lancaster usually cost less than homes in the surrounding Lancaster County suburbs, with a citywide median sale price of $256,000. Most of the savings come from the city's rowhomes, which are a lower-cost way to own a home within walking distance of downtown. However, homes here tend to sell quickly, so you should be preapproved before you start touring.

Penn Square is the center of downtown Lancaster, anchored by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and Lancaster Central Market. The market has operated since 1730, making it the oldest continuously operated farmers market in the U.S., and its current red-brick market house dates to 1889. If you buy a rowhome or condo nearby, restaurants, galleries, and the market are all within walking distance.

Yes, you can buy a historic home in Lancaster, a city founded in 1729 that briefly served as the U.S. capital on September 27, 1777. About 900 properties sit in the city's Lancaster Historic District, where the Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB) reviews any exterior change visible from a street or alley. Because of that review, check a home's district status before you plan new windows, doors, or siding.

Brick rowhomes are the most common type of home in Lancaster, and they became the city's main housing form during the 1800s. Many sit flush to the sidewalk and still have their original brickwork and window trim, which gives much of the city its Victorian character. Outside the rowhome blocks, you'll find more detached homes in the neighborhoods near the city limits.

Yes, you can find farms and rural homes throughout Lancaster County, which leads Pennsylvania in farmland preservation. The county's Agricultural Preserve Board alone has preserved more than 90,000 acres, and on those farms, future owners must keep farming the land, with only limited subdivision and non-farm construction allowed. If a property is enrolled in Pennsylvania's Clean and Green program, changing its use can also trigger up to seven years of rollback taxes, and you can browse country homes for sale in Lancaster.

You should know that much of Lancaster's housing dates to the 1800s, well before lead paint was banned in 1978, so a lead paint inspection is essential, especially if you have young children. If you plan to rent the home, a 2022 city ordinance requires every pre-1978 rental to get a lead-safe certification every two to four years. Also, if the home is in the Lancaster Historic District, exterior repairs will need HARB review before you start work.

Yes, Lancaster is the county seat and urban center of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Lancaster County is home to the oldest Amish settlement in the U.S., dating to the mid-1700s, so homes just outside the city often sit next to working Amish farms. That setting gives you rural views close to town, but expect horse-drawn buggies on local roads and seasonal tourist traffic.

Homes in Lancaster typically spend about 22 days on the market before selling. Redfin rates Lancaster as a very competitive market, so be ready to tour and make an offer quickly. Keep in mind that homes in the Lancaster Historic District can take longer to close if you plan exterior work that needs HARB approval.

Yes, Lancaster is a good place to buy in Lancaster County if you want a walkable city living in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. As the county seat, with 58,039 residents at the 2020 Census, it has Central Market, a historic downtown, and Amtrak Keystone service toward Philadelphia, about 61 miles east. Homes in the city also tend to cost less than homes in the surrounding county.