Deer Lake, Pennsylvania Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 468, Deer Lake's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Deer Lake is a small community located in Pennsylvania, within Fayette County. The total population is 468. It ranks as the 1375th most populous out of 1,991 Census-designated places in Pennsylvania.

Age Demographics

The median age in Deer Lake is 61.4 years. This is 50% higher than the state median of 40.9 years. Only 14.7% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Deer Lake is $150,114. This is 93% higher than the state median of $77,971. It is also 86% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 7.3%. This is 38% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Deer Lake, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $220,300. Housing costs are 13% lower than the state median of $254,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.5x, Deer Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 94.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 36% higher than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Deer Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.4% of all residents.

Education

58.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Deer Lake in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 67% higher than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 15.7% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Deer Lake, Pennsylvania is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Pennsylvania state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,991 Census-designated places in Pennsylvania. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.