Lancaster, CA Economic Overview
Lancaster is a city in northern Los Angeles, located in the Antelope Valley of the wester Mojave Desert, in Southern California. The city is bordered by several unincorporated Los Angeles County communities and the city of Palmdale, just 70 miles from Downtown Los Angeles. With 94 square miles of residential communities, recreation and art venues, high-tech companies, retail shops, and open, natural space, Lancaster fosters a vibrant atmosphere for living and a limitless location for business opportunity, home to over 161,000 residents. Twice-recognized as a “Most Business-Friendly City” by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Lancaster fosters an environment high quality jobs and commercial opportunities to abound. The city’s main economic clusters, located within the Lancaster commercial real estate scene include companies and jobs in aerospace, specialty manufacturing, and logistics centers. The city attracts a growing base of international, national, and local companies, from a diverse field of industries, each year. Thousands of visitors also tour the area each Spring season to enjoy the beautiful poppy and wildflower fields among its world-famous Joshua trees.
Attainable housing and recent economic growth have made Lancaster a focal point for both families and business looking to relocate or expand and wish to enjoy all the advantages that Southern California has to offer. Lancaster boasts one of the lowest costs of living, out of Californian cities, 89.8% less expensive than San Francisco. From its humble beginnings as a water stop on the Southern Pacific Railroad, Lancaster manages to both grow economically, and retain a family-focused, hometown spirit that hosts an average household income of $66,634. The broader Antelope Valley market has a diverse range of industries, including aerospace, healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and the film industry. The film industry flocks to Lancaster to capture the essence of the Antelope Valley in movies, television shows, commercials, and music videos filmed in the city each year, bringing many additional visitors to its hotels, businesses, and retail establishments. Lancaster has undertaken ambitious “green” energy endeavors, with a future goal of Zero Net Energy status, ensuring that Lancaster will produce and procure more energy than it consumes as an entire community. Lancaster is also home to the nation’s first BYD electric bus manufacturing plant and was the first city to offer affordable solar housing, which is now a residential building standard in the community. The Lancaster Redevelopment Agency has managed to attract major business operation to the area, such as SYGMA, Rite Aide, Michaels, Bank of America, and more. The largest employers in the area include Edwards AFB, China Lake NWC, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin.