Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Dauphin County is located in Pennsylvania with a total population of 289,593. It is the 14th most populous county out of 67 in Pennsylvania. The county encompasses 32 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Dauphin County is 39.4 years. This is 4% lower than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Dauphin County is $76,242. This is 2% lower than the state median of $77,971. It is also 6% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.9%. This is 10% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 4.5%. This is 14% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $236,400. Housing costs are 7% lower than the state median of $254,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 63.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% lower than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Dauphin County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 60.6% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 16.3%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (16.3% vs 10.3%). The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (6.5% vs 3.8%).

Education

34.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 2% 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 91.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Dauphin 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.