Population 57,724 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Altoona
Household size in Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Altoona are small: just 2.36 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.46, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.7 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.4 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.8 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 40.5, the median age in Altoona is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has crept up from 39.7 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the southwest.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Altoona (12.5%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Pennsylvania overall (10.7%). Altoona has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Pennsylvania cities.
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 Altoona
Renters in Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.9% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.8% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.7% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.2% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Altoona rent their homes (32.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 46.3% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share is up 2.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Altoona: 12.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has risen 2.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1952 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Altoona is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1954, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the west. Altoona has older homes than at least four in five Pennsylvania cities.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $643 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $669 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $745 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $936 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$293 | +$494 | +$606 |
The median renter in Altoona pays $936 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $293 a month since 2006–10, up 46%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest 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 Altoona
Bachelor's degrees in Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.8% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.1% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.4% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Altoona have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 7.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.4% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.7% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.2% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.8% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Altoona is above the national rate: 93.8% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 5.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Altoona
| Period | Altoona | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Altoona: 6.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Altoona compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona | 2.36 | 40.5 | 12.5% | 32.2% | 12.1% | 1954 | $936 | 23.4% | 93.8% | 6.1% |
| Buckhorn | 2.56 | 46.6 | 4.9% | 4.2% | 7.0% | 1968 | $879 | 33.4% | 95.2% | 1.3% |
| Sickles Corner | 2.62 | 45.2 | 8.2% | 6.1% | 10.8% | 1970 | $1,313 | 19.7% | 90.8% | 1.5% |
| Cross Keys | 1.84 | 61.9 | 3.2% | 23.2% | 7.1% | 1986 | $1,111 | 24.6% | 96.9% | 6.8% |
| Hollidaysburg | 2.24 | 46.0 | 6.9% | 25.9% | 9.7% | 1970 | $1,102 | 39.1% | 96.0% | 1.5% |
| Coupon | 2.70 | 40.0 | 9.7% | 6.8% | 15.0% | 1976 | $680 | 24.4% | 95.4% | 2.4% |
| Bellwood | 2.39 | 44.6 | 9.6% | 21.9% | 7.3% | 1958 | $929 | 23.2% | 95.1% | 4.1% |
| Horrell | 2.48 | 51.2 | 6.6% | 5.2% | 7.4% | 1974 | $1,032 | 16.2% | 95.6% | 7.0% |
| Duncansville | 2.25 | 50.0 | 8.2% | 23.7% | 7.3% | 1977 | $993 | 26.4% | 94.9% | 4.7% |
| Foot of Ten | 2.18 | 57.0 | 2.6% | 14.4% | 14.5% | 1973 | $520 | 16.4% | 95.6% | 10.8% |
| Dysart | 2.56 | 44.1 | 3.1% | 8.7% | 9.7% | 1969 | $807 | 25.7% | 96.6% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: La Jolla, CA · Plymouth, MA · Monroe, NC · Westminster, MD · Carrollton, GA · Placentia, CA · Mishawaka, IN · Huntsville, TX · Shoreline, WA · Perth Amboy, NJ
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 Altoona. 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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