Lancaster, PA Metro Area Immigration

Population

The Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population 1/ increased from 319,693 in 1970 to 519,445 in 2010. That was an increase of 62.5 percent.

The foreign-born (FB) population increased from 4,166 in 1970 to 24,631 in 2010. That was an increase of 491.2 percent. The foreign-born share changed from 1.3 percent to 4.7 percent.

The share of the overall population that was native-born (NB) increased by 56.8 percent.

	Lancaster MSA: Population  1970-2010

Sources of Population Change

The primary sources of population change are:

Natural Change [Births minus Deaths or B-D];
Net Domestic Migration [NDM - movement between states]; and
Net International Migration [NIM - movement into and out of the country].
There is also a residual "other" amount that isn't placed in one of those three categories.

The first chart below shows the three population change factors for three periods adjusted for annual average amounts. In it, natural change (B-D) was the primary factor in population increase in all periods.

The second chart shows the same data but with an adjustment to reflect births to immigrants shifted to NIM. In it, NDM remained the principal factor in population increase in all periods.

	Lancaster MSA: Sources of Population Change 1990-2014 		Lancaster MSA: Sources of Population Change (Adjusted) 1990-2014

		B-D	 NDM	 NIM						B-D	 NDM	  NIM	
	90-'99	69.5%	20.1%	10.5%					90-'99	61.8%	20.1%	18.2%
	00-'09	58.2%	27.4%	14.5%					00-'09	46.6%	27.4%	26.0%
	10-'14	67.1%	 neg.	32.9%					10-'14	52.1%	 neg.	47.9%

1/ Lancaster County.

Links:

MSA Factsheets by state, and alphabetically.

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