Lancaster: population and statistics
Lancaster has a population of 145,237 (2025) across 567.0 km², or 256 people per km². It ranks 191 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +5.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 145,237 residents
- 567.0 km²
- 256 people/km²
Lancaster in numbers
Population of Lancaster over time
Lancaster had 138,102 residents in 2015 and 145,237 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 140,881 |
| 2021 | 142,351 |
| 2022 | 144,594 |
| 2023 | 145,458 |
| 2024 | 145,332 |
| 2025 | 145,237 |
All indicators for Lancaster
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Lancaster | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.5% | 19.1% | 20.4% | ranked 149 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 15.8% | 18.3% | 17.4% | ranked 282 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Lancaster | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 67,430 dwellings | 3,492,580 | 27,429,300 | ranked 161 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 44.4% | 39.3% | 31.6% | ranked 56 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 14.7% | 16.5% | 18.1% | ranked 234 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 59,978 households | 116,581 | 61,440 | ranked 167 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 83.0% | 83.7% | 84.7% | ranked 173 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 15.9% | 16.0% | 14.8% | ranked 150 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 67.9% | 62.7% | 67.3% | ranked 142 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 21.7% | 19.4% | 17.6% | ranked 76 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 10.3% | 17.8% | 14.3% | ranked 284 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £202,966 | £227,208 | £272,474 | ranked 287 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 4.9% | 4.7% | 2.2% | ranked 65 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Lancaster | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1.2% | ranked 55 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 76.3% | 78.6% | 76.7% | ranked 164 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 7.5% | 7.4% | 7.8% | ranked 166 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.9% | ranked 126 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Lancaster | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 5,485 sites | 319,350 | 3,232,440 | ranked 231 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 37.8 per 1,000 | 41.1 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 266 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 4,585 businesses | 272,085 | 2,786,975 | ranked 239 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £34,890 | £37,482 | £38,490 | ranked 291 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Lancaster | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 77.7% | 73.9% | 76.3% | ranked 145 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 2.9% | 4.1% | 3.2% | ranked 206 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Lancaster | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 22.7% | 24.9% | 18.5% | ranked 102 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 35 local authorities in North West, Lancaster ranks 23 by population.
Households in social housing: 10.3% in Lancaster, compared with an average of 17.8% in North West and 17.1% across the UK.
Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross): £34,890 in Lancaster, compared with an average of £37,482 in North West and £39,498 across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 16.9% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Households in social housing”: lower than in 90% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 79,415 football pitches.
- The nearest local authority is Wyre, 16.4 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Westmorland and Furness (231,307 residents), 50 km away.
Business sectors: Lancaster
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade16.9% ×1.1
- Construction12.3% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical10.2% ×0.7
- Accommodation and food services9.9% ×1.4
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing8.5% ×1.9
- Administrative and support services7.0% ×0.9
- Health and social work6.5% ×1.2
- Manufacturing4.7% ×1.1
Where is Lancaster?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Lancaster?
Lancaster has 145,237 residents (2025), ranking 191 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Lancaster?
Lancaster covers 567.0 km², with a density of 256 people per km².
Is the population of Lancaster growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Lancaster went from 138,102 to 145,237, a change of +5.2%.
Where is Lancaster?
Lancaster is in North West (region). Latitude 54.047, longitude −2.801.
Households in social housing: what is the figure for Lancaster?
In Lancaster, “Households in social housing” stands at 10.3% (2021), ranking 284 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 14.3%.
Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross): what is the figure for Lancaster?
In Lancaster, “Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross)” stands at £34,890 (2025), ranking 291 of 348 local authorities; the UK median is £38,490.
Which local authorities border Lancaster?
The nearest to Lancaster are Wyre (16 km), Blackpool (28 km), Ribble Valley (32 km), Preston (33 km), Fylde (33 km).