01 · Category
Neighborhood Guides
The character, price range, and everyday feel of the places people actually move to.
- Lancaster City
- Lititz
- Manheim Township
- East Petersburg
- Marietta
- Mount Joy
- Hershey
- Elizabethtown
- Willow Street
- Millersville
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Living in Lancaster County
Life in Lancaster County.
Lititz, Marietta, Manheim Township, Mount Joy, Millersville and Lancaster City each have their own pace, historic streets, farmland views, and the schools and local businesses that shape everyday life, with West Chester, Downingtown, Malvern and Exton just across the Chester County line.
This guide goes town by town, the way a resident would explain it over coffee.
The Relocation Guide
Finding the right home is only part of the journey.
Choosing the right community, discovering your favorite coffee shop, finding great parks for your family, learning about local traditions, and understanding what makes each town unique are all part of feeling at home.
Explore Lititz, Marietta, Mount Joy, East Petersburg, Willow Street, Millersville, and Lancaster City through hand-picked neighborhood guides, local favorites, seasonal events, restaurants, builders, and community resources, designed to help you feel like a local long before moving day.
Featured Categories
Six ways to get to know the county.
A living library, updated as new neighborhoods open, new communities break ground, and new favorites earn their place in the guide.
02 · Category
Builder & New Construction Guide
Who's building where, and what to know before you sign a contract.
03 · Category
Restaurants & Coffee
The daily rituals: where locals actually eat, drink, and gather.
04 · Category
Family Life
Parks, libraries, farmers markets, and the seasonal traditions kids grow up on.
05 · Category
Local Events
Festivals, live music, holiday traditions, and the parade of homes, updated all year.
06 · Category
Explore Lancaster
Weekend itineraries, covered bridges, rail trails, museums, and the quiet corners.
Featured Callout
Why people love living in Lancaster County.
A short list of the reasons families keep choosing this county, from historic small towns and excellent schools to award-winning restaurants and easy access to the East Coast's biggest cities.
01
Beautiful Small Towns
Lititz, Strasburg, Mount Joy, Elizabethtown, and Manheim: historic main streets that feel genuinely lived-in.
02
Excellent School Districts
Manheim Township, Hempfield, Warwick, and Penn Manor: consistently ranked among Pennsylvania's best.
03
Rich History
Cobblestone alleys, covered bridges, working farms, and the country's oldest continuously operating farmers market.
04
Parks & Outdoor Recreation
Lancaster County Central Park, Speedwell Forge, the Susquehanna riverfront, and hundreds of miles of rail trails.
05
Award-Winning Restaurants
James Beard, recognized kitchens, farm-to-table pioneers, and a food scene that punches far above its size.
06
Local Coffee Shops
Passenger, Square One, Prince Street, and Mean Cup: the daily rituals that anchor neighborhoods.
07
Thriving Farmers Markets
Central Market, Root's, and Green Dragon: where the county still shops, gathers, and connects.
08
Strong Sense of Community
Block parties, church suppers, holiday parades, and traditions that make new families feel like locals.
09
Easy Access to Major Cities
Under 90 minutes to Philadelphia and Baltimore, and a direct train to New York and Washington, D.C.
10
Growing Economy
Healthcare, tech, agriculture, and skilled trades: a diversified economy with real career opportunity.
11
New Construction Opportunities
Trusted local builders and thoughtfully planned communities across every price point.
Neighborhood Guides
Ten communities. Ten very different daily rhythms.
Lititz, Marietta, Mount Joy, Manheim Township, Millersville, Willow Street, East Petersburg, Elizabethtown, and Lancaster City each have their own personality, and their own price of entry. These short guides help you narrow the map before you narrow the search.
- 01
Lancaster City
Historic downtown, art galleries, and a Saturday market that anchors the week.
- 02
Lititz
Voted one of America's coolest small towns, and it earns it.
- 03
Manheim Township
Established neighborhoods, strong schools, and easy access to everything.
- 04
East Petersburg
Quiet, family-forward, and quickly becoming a favorite for young families.
- 05
Mount Joy
Small-town main street energy with room to grow.
- 06
Marietta
Susquehanna riverfront, restored Federal-era homes, and one of the county's best-kept secrets.
- 07
Hershey
Just over the county line, and worth knowing.
- 08
Elizabethtown
College-town warmth with a train station to Philly and Harrisburg.
- 09
Willow Street
Wooded lots and a slower pace, minutes from the city.
- 10
Millersville
University town charm and one of the county's best rail trails.
Neighborhood Guides
Go deeper on a Lancaster County town.
Marietta
A river town of restored Federal and Victorian homes, where Lancaster County character still comes at an attainable price.
Lititz
Moravian main street, Warwick schools, and the county's most consistently competitive borough market.
Latest From Lancaster
Editorial dispatches from the county.
Relocation
Why So Many Families Are Moving to Lancaster County
What buyers relocating from Philadelphia, New York, DC, and the West Coast are finding here, and why they're choosing Lancaster over the more obvious options.
Read the storyAlready own a home here and moving across the county? Buying before you sell in Lancaster County covers how people here handle the overlap.
Coffee
The Best Coffee Shops Around Lancaster
Weekend
A Weekend in Lititz
Local Only
Hidden Gems Most Visitors Miss
New Construction
New Construction Communities to Watch
Explore the Region
Discover the places people love to call home.
From Lancaster City's vibrant downtown to the small-town charm of Lititz, the riverfront streets of Marietta, and the family-friendly neighborhoods of Manheim Township, plus West Chester, Downingtown, and Malvern across the Chester County line, every community offers something different. Explore each guide to compare schools, neighborhoods, housing, lifestyle, and local favorites before deciding where you'd like to put down roots.
Also A Core Service Area
Just across the line: Chester County.
Plenty of searches start in Lancaster County and end in West Chester, Downingtown, Malvern, Exton, Kennett Square, Phoenixville, or Coatesville. Corie lends in all of them, so a cross-county search never means starting over with a new lender.
Explore Living in Chester County →West Chester
Walkable borough, West Chester Area schools, frequent jumbo territory.
Downingtown
Downingtown Area schools and a mix of borough and new-construction homes.
Malvern & Exton
Great Valley schools, 202 corridor commutes, complex income profiles.
Kennett Square
Historic downtown, agricultural roots, strong small-business community.
Phoenixville
Bridge Street revival, condos and townhomes that need careful review.
Coatesville
The county's most attainable prices: where DPA and renovation loans shine.
Local Questions
Buying a home in Lancaster County, answered.
The questions that come up most often from Lancaster County buyers, with the longer explanation a click away in the Learning Center.
Visit the Learning Center →How much do I need for a down payment in Lancaster County?
Most Lancaster County buyers put down 5% on a conventional loan, and 3.5% is standard on FHA. On a $375,000 home in Lititz or Manheim Township that is roughly $18,750 down on conventional. Down payment assistance is also available in Pennsylvania for buyers with a 640 minimum credit score.
How much cash you really need →Are there down payment assistance programs for Lancaster County buyers?
Yes. Pennsylvania down payment assistance can be layered onto several loan types for qualified buyers with a 640 minimum credit score, and it is used often in Lancaster City, Columbia, Marietta, and Ephrata where entry price points still work for first-time buyers.
Is down payment assistance right for you? →What closing costs should I expect in Lancaster County, PA?
Plan on lender fees, title work, and prepaid taxes and insurance, plus Pennsylvania transfer tax, typically split 1% buyer and 1% seller, though several boroughs and townships assess a higher local rate. Lancaster County school and municipal tax timing also affects how much is collected at settlement.
Understanding closing costs →Which credit score do I need to buy a home here?
Conventional financing generally starts at 620, FHA can go lower with compensating factors, and Pennsylvania down payment assistance requires a 640 minimum. Score also drives pricing, so a small improvement before you apply often lowers the payment more than shopping rates does.
What credit score do you really need? →How competitive is the Lancaster County market right now?
Well-priced homes in Lititz, Manheim Township, Warwick, and Hempfield still move quickly, while Marietta, Columbia, and parts of Elizabethtown give buyers more room to negotiate. A fully underwritten pre-approval is what makes an offer credible in the faster submarkets.
Pre-approval vs. pre-qualification →Can I finance a new construction home in Lancaster County?
Yes, through builder community financing, construction-to-permanent loans, or a one-time-close loan if you already own or are buying land in townships like Warwick, Penn, or Rapho. The structure you choose changes your deposit schedule and your rate-lock strategy.
First-time homebuyer timeline →How long does it take to close on a home in Lancaster County?
A typical purchase closes in 30 to 40 days from an accepted agreement of sale. Appraisal scheduling in rural parts of the county and municipal use-and-occupancy inspections in boroughs like Lititz and Columbia are the two items that most often move that date.
The first-time homebuyer timeline →Moving to Lancaster
Thinking about moving here?
Relocating involves much more than choosing a home. It means finding the right community, the right schools, a commute you can live with, a lifestyle that fits, and financing built around the shape of your life, not the other way around.
We help people relocate to Lancaster County every month. We're happy to be a resource long before you're ready to write an offer.
Ready for your next chapter?
Let's start the conversation.
Thinking about making Lancaster County home? I'd love to help you not only finance your home but also discover the communities, neighborhoods, and lifestyle that make this one of Pennsylvania's most wonderful places to live.
Every homebuying journey is different. Whether you're purchasing your first home, building your dream home, relocating to Lancaster County, refinancing, investing, or planning your next move, I'm here to help you make confident financial decisions.
You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Sometimes the best first step is simply having a conversation.
- Secure online application
- Approximately 15 minutes to complete
- Personally reviewed by Corie Adams
- Personalized mortgage strategy
- Same-business-day follow-up whenever possible
- No pressure. No obligation. Just honest guidance.
Not quite ready?
Continue exploring my Homebuyer's Resource Library, Living in Lancaster County Guides, or Builder Resource Center. I'm here whenever you're ready.