While Lancaster may be national recognized for being home to the Plain Community, Lancaster is anything but “plain”. In fact, Lancaster has a lot going for itself – like being home to James Buchanan, the only bachelor president of the United States or for being the home that built Milton Hershey’s (founder of Hershey’s Chocolate) career in candy making.
If you’ve ever considered Lancaster as your next place to live, or even if you haven’t, here is a list of big-ticket items that will help you tell others “Why” Lancaster is the greatest place to live.
- The Ideal Location
If you Google Search Lancaster County you will find that we are located within a day’s drive to many of the East Coasts hottest places to visit – Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Myrtle Beach, and many more! Whether you are in the mood for a large pie from NYC’s best pizza shop, a shopping trip at one of the country’s largest shopping malls, King of Prussia, or a day relaxing on the beach, all you will need is your car and at least 1 day to get there! - Central PA Melting Pot
Lancaster County’s beauty attracts people from literally all walks of life – many in the Amish or “Plain” community have called Lancaster home for centuries, but there is also a large population of younger millennials, innovative professionals, a mix of retirees, refugees from countries like Somalia, Myanmar, Kenya and beyond, and so many more unique individuals calling Lancaster home! - Recession Proof
Lancaster County is one of the best places to invest in terms of withstanding recessions or market downfalls. In fact, during the Great Recession, Lancaster County home values only dropped a third of what was seen nationally, and, as a whole, Lancaster bounced back quicker too. Lancaster’s resilience is due in part to it being healthcare hub, where the largest employer in the county, by far, is Lancaster General Hospital. Healthcare is a resilient industry, offering its respective community a leg to stand on in any storm. - Come for the Food, stay for the company!
If you live in Lancaster, then you already know the diversity that is brought to the table – literally. Thanks to our region’s farmers, we have access to fresh and bountiful produce, which are available for purchase at Central Market, the country’s oldest continually running public farmers’ market. In addition to our locally grown produce, there is no limit on award-winning restaurants, coffee shops and hand-made Lancaster classics – such as Shady Maple Smorgasbord our claim to the largest buffet in the United States, Lombardo’s Italian Restaurant, Sturgis Pretzels and more!
© - Retirees Love to Call Lancaster Home In 2018 Lancaster County was ranked #1 nationally as the best place to retire and is currently ranked #3, based on a survey conducted by U.S. News on the 100 best places to retire. Lancaster county offers over 16 different retirement communities and over 18 emergency medical facilities and providers, such as UMPC Pinnacle and Penn Medicine, to its residents. With housing costs being an average of 25% lower than the national average and an abundance of available activities for retirees to enjoy, it is no wonder over 13,000 55 and older residents call Lancaster County home.
- A place for Sports-Fanatics to call Home If you are into sports, we have plenty of professional athletes, gyms and sport complexes to share! Professional athletes like Olympian Barney Ewell, Major League Pitcher Bruce Sutter and former Pittsburgh Steelers Fullback Dan Kreider are all residence or natives to Lancaster County! But professional athletes aren’t the only thing we have to brag about, Lancaster is also home to Spooky Nook Sports, the country’s largest indoor sports complex.
- We have the history if you have the books! Lancaster County’s soil is rich with history. Lancaster is home to some of the Country’s most historical sites, including Wheatland Manor – home to James Buchanan, Bube’s Brewery – a pre-Prohibition Era brewery – and we have bragging rights as Capital for a day, as Lancaster City was capital for one day on Sept. 27, 1777 when the city served as host to the Second Continental Congress. When was the last time you lived in a city that was at one time capital for the United Sates?
- We’re nationally recognized All Lancaster County residence and natives already know that Lancaster County is the best, but that is probably not enough to convince those who need a little convincing. In fact, Lancaster consistently ends up on “best of” lists by national news outlets. In 2020 National Geographic recognized Lancaster as a perfect fall getaway location and U.S. News & World Report named Lancaster the 3rd best place to retire! If that is not enough to convince you, in 2018 Forbes ranked Lancaster as a top-10 “coolest” places to visit in the U.S.
If you’re thinking about calling Lancaster County your home, get connected with Ross Furner of Furner Realty Group. FRG is dedicated as a Lancaster-based team to help its local and non-local residence feel right at home. Furner Realty Group and Lancaster County encourages you to visit and potentially stay.