Population 13,018,639 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Pennsylvania
Household size in Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Pennsylvania run small, averaging 2.46 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has edged down from 2.51 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in eastern Pennsylvania.
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 Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Pennsylvania is 42.0 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.3, mirroring the country. Pennsylvania is older than at least four in five states.
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 Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Pennsylvania as they are nationally: 10.7%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while the national share fell.
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 Pennsylvania
Renters in Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Pennsylvania rent their homes (30.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over four in ten owners (42.5%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.7 points, as it has nationally.
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 Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Pennsylvania is close to the national rate: 9.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Pennsylvania is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1967, 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 1963 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Pennsylvania has older homes than at least four in five states.
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 Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in Pennsylvania runs $1,323 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $494 a month since 2006–10, up 60%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.3% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in northwestern Pennsylvania; the highest are in southeastern Pennsylvania.
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 Pennsylvania
Bachelor's degrees in Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Pennsylvania (35.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, the same as the national share. The share with a degree is up 8.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in southeastern Pennsylvania and least in northwestern Pennsylvania.
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 Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Pennsylvania is a bit above the national rate: 91.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 4.5 points since 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 Pennsylvania
| Period | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.4%, unemployment in Pennsylvania is the same as the national rate. Unemployment is down 2.1 points from 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).
Pennsylvania compared with nearby states
| State | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 2.46 | 42.0 | 10.7% | 30.7% | 9.1% | 1967 | $1,323 | 35.6% | 91.8% | 5.4% |
| Maryland | 2.68 | 40.6 | 11.7% | 32.4% | 7.1% | 1978 | $1,869 | 43.4% | 90.9% | 5.0% |
| District of Columbia | 2.09 | 36.2 | 12.2% | 58.5% | 10.4% | 1963 | $2,078 | 63.4% | 92.7% | 7.0% |
| Delaware | 2.58 | 43.0 | 12.3% | 27.0% | 9.6% | 1984 | $1,514 | 35.5% | 91.5% | 5.1% |
| New Jersey | 2.76 | 40.9 | 11.3% | 36.2% | 6.6% | 1969 | $1,896 | 43.4% | 90.2% | 6.4% |
| New York | 2.65 | 40.8 | 11.6% | 45.7% | 9.7% | 1961 | $1,794 | 39.8% | 87.3% | 6.6% |
| Virginia | 2.62 | 40.3 | 10.7% | 32.7% | 8.7% | 1984 | $1,743 | 42.5% | 91.6% | 4.3% |
| West Virginia | 2.43 | 43.2 | 10.4% | 25.1% | 14.9% | 1976 | $905 | 25.0% | 89.4% | 5.5% |
| Connecticut | 2.55 | 42.1 | 11.4% | 33.5% | 7.9% | 1967 | $1,702 | 42.3% | 91.2% | 5.6% |
| Ohio | 2.46 | 40.8 | 11.7% | 32.8% | 8.7% | 1972 | $1,142 | 31.9% | 91.7% | 4.9% |
| Rhode Island | 2.49 | 41.6 | 11.7% | 36.4% | 9.2% | 1961 | $1,448 | 37.8% | 89.4% | 5.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
States with similar populations: Tennessee · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Ohio · Oklahoma · South Carolina · South Dakota
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 Pennsylvania. 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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