Crownwick Advances, a small-business funding service in Lancaster, PA, put this page together from Census business data for the city, its downtown ZIP and Lancaster County, PA. It shows which sectors have the most establishments, what share of employers are very small, and where working capital, equipment and inventory financing fit for local owners.
| County employer establishments | 13,776 (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Under five employees | 47.5% |
| County businesses without payroll | 50,449 (NES 2024) |
| ZIP 17602 employers | 1,151 (ZBP 2023) |
| Residents self-employed, City of Lancaster, PA | 6.4% (+/- 1.1), ACS 2020-2024 |
| Self-employed, county | 9.8% (+/- 0.5) |
Lancaster County, PA small businesses in four numbers
Lancaster County, PA had 13,776 employer establishments in 2023, employing 249,379 people with an annual payroll of about $13.83 billion (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). Nearly half, 6,537 or 47.5%, had fewer than five employees. A separate Census program counted 50,449 businesses with receipts but no payroll in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024): sole proprietors, single-member companies and side businesses. The two counts cover different years and definitions, so they sit side by side here rather than being added.
The county's 9.8% self-employment rate among employed residents (+/- 0.5 points) is above Pennsylvania's 8.2% (+/- 0.1), and the ranges do not overlap (American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). Inside the City of Lancaster the rate is lower, 6.4% (+/- 1.1).
Sector by sector in Lancaster County, PA
| Sector | Establishments | Share under 5 employees |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 1,919 | 58.3% |
| Retail trade | 1,887 | 37.5% |
| Other services | 1,791 | 58.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,310 | 33.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,109 | 28.8% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 1,074 | 60.9% |
| Manufacturing | 1,035 | 33.0% |
| Administrative and support | 733 | 52.5% |
Source: CBP 2023. Manufacturing has fewer establishments than construction or retail but the largest payroll, about $2.63 billion, and 40,080 employees. Health care follows with about $2.50 billion. Those are the sectors where machines, payroll and long customer terms drive funding requests; see manufacturers and machine shops and medical and dental practices.
ZIP 17602: the downtown business mix
ZIP 17602, which includes the downtown blocks, had 1,151 employer establishments in 2023 with 18,141 employees (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023). Retail led with 227, then other services at 140, accommodation and food services at 139, professional services at 123 and health care at 111. Construction, the sector with the most establishments county-wide, had 99.
ZIP lines and city lines do not match. Only about 12.0% of ZIP 17602's land lies inside the City of Lancaster, and the city itself spreads across 17602 (about 40.8% of its land), 17603 (34.5%) and 17601 (24.8%), according to the Census 2020 ZIP-to-place relationship file. Treat the ZIP figures as a picture of the downtown-and-south area rather than of city limits.
The mix points to particular pages: retailers and shop owners for the 227 shops, restaurants and food businesses for the food trade, accounting, engineering and consulting firms for the office sector, and auto repair shops for the 23 repair businesses in the ZIP.
Lancaster County, PA small business and the funding question
Small employers can have modest, specific funding needs: payroll while a customer pays late, a used machine, stock ahead of sales. The six options compared shows how each is paid back. Contractors should also read the Pennsylvania home improvement contractor registration guide, since partners sometimes check registration for residential trades.
Lancaster, PA business for sale and commercial property
Owners searching for a Lancaster, PA business for sale, or commercial property for lease, may have a funding question next. Buying an existing business can be discussed as a term loan, and partners will want the seller's statements and tax returns. Leasing new space can bring a build-out cost, which can also fit a term loan. We do not list businesses or properties ourselves.
Lancaster, PA business search and directory
For a Lancaster, PA business search, the starting points are the state's business entity records and the city and county websites. The City of Lancaster's site is cityoflancasterpa.com and Lancaster County's is co.lancaster.pa.us (both checked as reachable 2026-10-18). The Lancaster, PA registration steps guide explains which records matter for a funding file.
Crownwick Advances in Lancaster, PA
The Crownwick Advances mailing address is 39 E Orange St, Lancaster, PA 17602, and the phone is (717) 675-6950. Every request runs by phone or online, with no trip to Orange Street needed. More on who we are is on the about page, and the contact page has the map. Nearby towns we serve are listed on the areas page, and every sector page sits under funding by industry.
Who Crownwick Advances works with in Lancaster, PA
Crownwick Advances works with Lancaster, PA businesses of most kinds; contractors and construction trades, restaurants and food service, medical and dental practices and retailers and wholesalers that carry stock are common examples. The partner, not the industry, makes the decision.
What to gather before you call
- Business checking statements covering roughly the last quarter or two
- Current financial statements: profit and loss plus a balance sheet
- Photo ID for every owner of the business
- Your articles of organization or incorporation and the EIN letter
- Details of any loans, leases or advances the business already carries
- A written quote or invoice if the money is for equipment
No two partners ask for exactly the same file, so use this as a checklist rather than a rule.
From first call to a partner's decision
- It starts with a call to (717) 675-6950 or the short contact form. On the phone we cover the purpose of the funds, time in business and approximate monthly revenue.
- We walk through the funding types that suit that purpose and the paperwork partners tend to ask for. Nothing goes out until you say so.
- Once you agree, the request goes to partners that provide that type of funding. The credit decision belongs to each partner.
- When an offer arrives, weigh its full cost, how payments are scheduled and the conditions. Accepting is entirely your choice.
From Lancaster, PA, the whole request can run by phone and online.
By Crownwick Advances · Updated
