Population 8,210 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bedford
Household size in Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.30 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.23 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.24 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.17 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Bedford are small: just 2.17 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 2.30, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 496 Pennsylvania cities with 5,000+ people, only 35 have smaller households.
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 Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.6 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.9 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.8 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.7 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.7, Bedford is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 45.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only 26 of the 496 Pennsylvania cities with 5,000+ people are older.
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 Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.7% of households in Bedford, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 5.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 40 of the 496 Pennsylvania cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Bedford
Renters in Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.6% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.9% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.5% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Bedford own their homes; 29.5% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 49.6% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the north. 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 Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Bedford: 15.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 3.9 points from 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 Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Bedford is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1966, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1962 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $594 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $665 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $710 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $918 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$323 | +$494 | +$606 |
The median renter in Bedford pays $918 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $323 a month from 2006–10, a 54% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Bedford
Bachelor's degrees in Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.9% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Bedford have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 4.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northeast.
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 Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.0% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.4% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.5% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.0% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.0 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Bedford is above the national rate: 94.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 11.0 points from 2006–10, 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 Bedford
| Period | Bedford | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Bedford than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 1.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Bedford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | 2.17 | 49.7 | 4.7% | 29.5% | 15.4% | 1966 | $918 | 18.9% | 94.0% | 4.2% |
| Wolfsburg | 1.78 | 57.6 | 1.9% | 11.9% | 18.5% | 1972 | $906 | 12.9% | 94.0% | 0.1% |
| Chalybeate | 2.32 | 54.1 | 0.5% | 17.7% | 15.2% | 1968 | $940 | 17.9% | 93.8% | 5.2% |
| Charlesville | 2.32 | 49.2 | 4.3% | 16.1% | 12.6% | 1982 | $865 | 24.1% | 94.4% | 7.4% |
| Lutzville | 2.34 | 51.6 | 1.0% | 16.9% | 14.3% | 1979 | $1,110 | 29.5% | 90.5% | 3.6% |
| Hartley | 2.31 | 53.9 | 0.8% | 16.6% | 15.0% | 1971 | $1,043 | 22.4% | 91.6% | 2.3% |
| Manns Choice | 2.33 | 46.5 | 5.2% | 21.1% | 25.4% | 1973 | $871 | 16.7% | 91.2% | 6.3% |
| Ott Town | 2.56 | 44.2 | 8.1% | 14.7% | 14.3% | 1973 | $787 | 15.8% | 91.1% | 3.3% |
| Imlertown | 2.15 | 58.1 | 0.9% | 14.8% | 17.4% | 1958 | $925 | 8.9% | 93.1% | 0.0% |
| Springhope | 2.09 | 56.6 | 5.4% | 24.9% | 12.3% | 1973 | $937 | 16.3% | 89.3% | 3.0% |
| Everett | 2.38 | 44.9 | 10.3% | 30.3% | 16.7% | 1966 | $883 | 18.2% | 91.5% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Nevada, IA · Mount Orab, OH · Mountain Grove, MO · Mountville, PA · Moyock, NC · Narberth, PA · Narvon, PA · Nashville, GA · Needville, TX · Nellis Afb, NV
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 Bedford. 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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