Lancaster County Crime Rates & Safety
Official, public crime data for Lancaster County, reported by local police departments to the FBI. We show it as a rate per 100,000 residents so towns of different sizes are comparable, with the years available and how much of the county was reporting. County- and municipality-level only, never a rating of an individual home, street, or person.
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Search homes for sale in Lancaster CountyLancaster County reported crime, 2024
Offenses per 100,000 residents, from agencies covering about 86% of the county.
- 74 / 100k
- Violent / 100k
- 621 / 100k
- Property / 100k
- 2024
- Data year
| Year | Violent / 100k | Property / 100k | County reporting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 176 / 100k | 931 / 100k | 66% |
| 2024 | 74 / 100k | 621 / 100k | 86% |
Reported violent offenses per 100k were lower in 2024 than in 2020. Years with sparse reporting are omitted. The set of reporting departments also changed between these years (see the county reporting column), which moves the rate on its own. Pennsylvania switched crime-reporting systems in 2021 (SRS to NIBRS), so comparisons across that line are imperfect.
By municipality in Lancaster County
Each figure comes from one police department's FBI reporting, for the latest year that department filed all 12 months. A municipality can be missing for ordinary reasons: its department files partial or no monthly reports to the FBI, it shares a regional department, or it is covered by the State Police. Missing does not mean crime-free, and a reported zero can reflect reporting practices, so read these as context, not a verdict.
Rates are per 100,000 residents of each department’s jurisdiction and are shown only where at least 10 offenses were reported; smaller figures appear as counts so a small town’s handful of offenses never reads as a rate.
| Municipality | Violent | Property | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christiana | 0 reported | Fewer than 10 reported | 2024 |
| Columbia | 297 / 100k | 2,011 / 100k | 2024 |
| East Cocalico Township | Fewer than 10 reported | 487 / 100k | 2024 |
| East Earl Township | Fewer than 10 reported | 557 / 100k | 2024 |
| East Hempfield Township | 52 / 100k | 833 / 100k | 2024 |
| East Lampeter Township | 101 / 100k | 1,758 / 100k | 2024 |
| Elizabethtown | 83 / 100k | 652 / 100k | 2024 |
| Ephrata | 29 / 100k | 909 / 100k | 2024 |
| Lancaster | 591 / 100k | 1,895 / 100k | 2020 |
| Lititz | Fewer than 10 reported | 438 / 100k | 2024 |
| Manheim | 281 / 100k | 1,145 / 100k | 2024 |
| Manheim Township | 75 / 100k | 695 / 100k | 2024 |
| Manor Township , Lancaster County | 95 / 100k | 254 / 100k | 2024 |
| Millersville | Fewer than 10 reported | 470 / 100k | 2024 |
| Mount Joy | Fewer than 10 reported | 407 / 100k | 2024 |
| Northern Lancaster County | 38 / 100k | 392 / 100k | 2024 |
| Northwest Lancaster County | Fewer than 10 reported | 195 / 100k | 2024 |
| Quarryville | Fewer than 10 reported | 628 / 100k | 2024 |
| State : Lancaster County | 112 / 100k | 364 / 100k | 2024 |
| Strasburg | 0 reported | Fewer than 10 reported | 2024 |
| Susquehanna | 66 / 100k | 330 / 100k | 2023 |
| West Earl Township | Fewer than 10 reported | 279 / 100k | 2024 |
| West Hempfield Township | 59 / 100k | 644 / 100k | 2024 |
| West Lampeter Township | Fewer than 10 reported | 514 / 100k | 2024 |
Lancaster County: overdose context
County-level, not specific to any town, school, or home.
Lancaster County recorded 51 drug-overdose deaths in 2024, down from 84 the prior year (peak of 169 in 2017). Recent years are provisional. Source: Pennsylvania Department of Health.
More on Lancaster County
Weigh this alongside the rest of the local picture: the Lancaster County property-tax breakdown, the school-district value matrix, and each district’s academics, attendance, and school-safety data.
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Common questions
What is the crime rate in Lancaster County, PA?
In 2024, police in Lancaster County reported about 74 violent offenses and 621 property offenses per 100,000 residents, based on FBI UCR/NIBRS data covering roughly 86% of the county's population. Rates are reported offenses, which depend on how completely each police agency reports.
Where does this Lancaster County crime data come from?
The FBI's Crime Data Explorer, which publishes the offense counts local and state police agencies report under the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) and National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) programs. We sum each agency's monthly reports into annual county and town totals and express them as a rate per 100,000 residents. We don't add a score or ranking of our own.
Does a lower crime rate mean a town is "safer"?
Not necessarily. A reported-crime rate reflects what police recorded and how completely an agency reports, not the experience of living somewhere. We publish the official numbers as context for families and intentionally do not rank towns or rate individual homes, streets, or neighborhoods.
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These figures describe counties and municipalities, not individual homes or people. They are official public data and may be self-reported, lag by a year or more, or be underreported. They are context, not a safety rating. Crime counts reflect what police agencies reported and vary with reporting practices. Sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer (UCR/NIBRS), 2024; county overdose: Pennsylvania Department of Health. County reference population: U.S. Census 2020.