Population 106,115 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Adams County
Household size in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Adams County run a little small, averaging 2.53 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across Pennsylvania. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.7 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.1 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Adams County is 44.1 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.8, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the west.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Adams County (8.8%), below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 0.6 points, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Adams County
Renters in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.2% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.0% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 21.1% of households in Adams County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly four in ten owners (37.7%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is down 1.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Adams County than nationally: 6.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has edged up 1.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Adams County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Pennsylvania counties.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Adams County was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Pennsylvania overall, where the median home dates to 1967. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the center. Only five of Pennsylvania's 67 counties have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $790 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $882 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $955 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,200 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$410 | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in Adams County runs $1,200 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $410 a month since 2006–10, up 52%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.1% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Adams County
Bachelor's degrees in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.2% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Adams County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.3 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.9% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.6% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.0% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Adams County is a bit above the national rate: 91.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Pennsylvania. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.5 points, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Adams County has been low: just 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.5 points, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Adams County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 2.53 | 44.1 | 8.8% | 21.1% | 6.7% | 1979 | $1,200 | 25.5% | 91.4% | 3.4% |
| York County | 2.56 | 42.2 | 11.4% | 23.7% | 5.9% | 1976 | $1,277 | 27.8% | 92.0% | 4.6% |
| Franklin County | 2.52 | 42.5 | 10.4% | 26.5% | 6.9% | 1977 | $1,149 | 24.5% | 91.1% | 3.9% |
| Fulton County | 2.29 | 47.0 | 8.5% | 22.4% | 11.4% | 1976 | $821 | 17.7% | 89.3% | 2.9% |
| Chester County | 2.68 | 42.0 | 7.4% | 24.9% | 4.8% | 1983 | $1,842 | 57.9% | 94.2% | 3.7% |
| Delaware County | 2.67 | 40.5 | 11.5% | 30.4% | 6.5% | 1959 | $1,576 | 42.4% | 93.4% | 6.8% |
| Gloucester County | 2.75 | 40.5 | 11.1% | 19.9% | 6.1% | 1980 | $1,601 | 37.9% | 94.0% | 5.4% |
| Camden County | 2.67 | 39.7 | 14.7% | 35.3% | 6.3% | 1966 | $1,573 | 35.9% | 89.2% | 7.0% |
| Burlington County | 2.67 | 42.4 | 9.7% | 23.9% | 6.2% | 1977 | $1,826 | 43.2% | 94.3% | 5.4% |
| Fayette County | 2.23 | 45.6 | 10.2% | 27.6% | 11.6% | 1960 | $847 | 19.1% | 89.9% | 6.3% |
| Ocean County | 3.25 | 40.1 | 8.2% | 19.3% | 10.6% | 1985 | $1,854 | 34.8% | 92.9% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Yamhill County, OR · Cape May County, NJ · Navajo County, AZ · Benton County, OR · Burleigh County, ND · Sumter County, SC · Wicomico County, MD · Douglas County, OR · Craven County, NC · Sutter County, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Adams County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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