Population
Lancaster
40,902
Council Bluffs
62,564
Median Income
Lancaster
$54,901
Council Bluffs
$64,092
Home Value
Lancaster
$180,200
Council Bluffs
$164,300
Rent
Lancaster
$999
Council Bluffs
$980
Crime Rate
Lancaster
4.05
Council Bluffs
4.21
Cost of Living
Lancaster
93.5
Council Bluffs
98.9
Avg Temp
Lancaster
N/A
Council Bluffs
N/A
Unemployment
Lancaster
5.0%
Council Bluffs
4.2%
How Similar Are Lancaster & Council Bluffs?
Council Bluffs is Lancaster's #12 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Lancaster
40,902
Council Bluffs
62,564
Council Bluffs has a 35% larger population than Lancaster.
Violent Crime
Lancaster
4.05
Council Bluffs
4.21
Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 4% difference.
Property Crime
Lancaster
21.25
Council Bluffs
24.52
Council Bluffs has a 13% higher property crime than Lancaster.
Political Leaning
Lancaster
61.6%
Council Bluffs
59.3%
Both cities lean Republican with similar vote shares — 4% difference.
Unemployment
Lancaster
5.0%
Council Bluffs
4.2%
Lancaster has a 16% higher unemployment than Council Bluffs.
Median Income
Lancaster
$54,901
Council Bluffs
$64,092
Council Bluffs has a 14% higher median income than Lancaster.
Home Values
Lancaster
$180,200
Council Bluffs
$164,300
Both cities have similar home values — just a 9% difference.
Education
Lancaster
14.4%
Council Bluffs
14.8%
Both cities have similar education — just a 2% difference.
Demographics
Lancaster
91.5%
Council Bluffs
87.6%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 4% difference.
Cost of Living
Lancaster
93.5
Council Bluffs
98.9
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 5% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Lancaster and Council Bluffs share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Lancaster
0
Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Lancaster leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDLancaster scores 92.0 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 99.0 in Council Bluffs. Lancaster scores 93.6 on the healthcare index (100 = national avg) vs 99.2 in Council Bluffs. Lancaster scores 93.5 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 98.9 in Council Bluffs.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLancaster has a median property tax of $1,736 vs $2,960 in Council Bluffs (41% lower). Council Bluffs has a vacancy rate of 6.1% compared to 7.7% in Lancaster. Council Bluffs has a owner-occupied of 64.0% compared to 56.9% in Lancaster.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Council Bluffs leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSCouncil Bluffs: 31,953 vs Lancaster: 19,458 for labor force. Council Bluffs has a unemployment rate of 4.2% compared to 5.0% in Lancaster. Council Bluffs has a median household income of $64,092 vs $54,901 in Lancaster (14% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Council Bluffs leads
Source: FBI UCRCouncil Bluffs has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.03 compared to 0.12 in Lancaster. Lancaster has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.17 compared to 0.71 in Council Bluffs. Lancaster has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.94 compared to 4.87 in Council Bluffs.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauLancaster has a high school diploma or higher of 42.5% compared to 38.2% in Council Bluffs. Council Bluffs has a bachelor's degree or higher of 14.8% compared to 14.4% in Lancaster.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSCouncil Bluffs has a population of 62,564, about 1.5x the size of Lancaster (40,902). Lancaster skews younger with a median age of 36.9 vs 39.0.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Lancaster
Council Bluffs
Healthcare — Council Bluffs leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareCouncil Bluffs: 3.8 vs Lancaster: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Council Bluffs leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLancaster has a bicycle of 0.6% compared to 0.2% in Council Bluffs. Council Bluffs has a public transit of 0.9% compared to 0.1% in Lancaster. Council Bluffs has a work from home of 7.8% compared to 7.7% in Lancaster.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Lancaster, OH
Compare Lancaster against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.