Adams County, Pennsylvania Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Adams County is located in Pennsylvania with a total population of 106,115. It is the 31st most populous county out of 67 in Pennsylvania. The county encompasses 26 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Adams County is 43.7 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Adams County is $84,092. This is 8% higher than the state median of $77,971. It is also 4% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.2%. This is 30% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 3.4%. This is 36% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $268,500. Housing costs are 6% higher than the state median of $254,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.2x. 78.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 14% higher than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Adams County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.8% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.7%. The Black or African American population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 10.3%. The Asian population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 3.8%.

Education

25.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 27% lower than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Adams County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Pennsylvania and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.