Erie County, Pennsylvania Demographics 2026

Name: Erie County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Erie County, Pennsylvania has a population of 269,052, the 15th most populous county in Pennsylvania. The median household income is $63,354 and the median home value is $177,000. The poverty rate is 15.0%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Erie County Quick Facts

Population 269,052

Median Household Income $63,354

Median Home Value $177,000

Poverty Rate 15.0%

Unemployment Rate 5.4%

Median Age 40.2 years

Homeownership Rate 68.1%

Affordability Ratio 2.8x

Bachelor's Degree+ 30.3%

High School Graduation 92.9%

Cities/Places 21

Population 269,052 15th of 67

Median Income $63,354 19% lower than state

Poverty Rate 15.0%

Unemployment 5.4%

How Erie County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	269,544	269,052	-0.2%
Median household income	$61,476	$63,354	+3.1%
Median home value	$169,500	$177,000	+4.4%

Median Household Income

Erie

$63,354

$77,971

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Erie

$177,000

$254,500

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 19.1%

$25K-$50K 21.3%

$50K-$100K 30.1%

$100K+ 29.4%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

6.0%

$10K-$15K

4.3%

$15K-$20K

4.3%

$20K-$25K

4.5%

$25K-$30K

4.2%

$30K-$35K

4.5%

$35K-$40K

4.5%

$40K-$45K

3.9%

$45K-$50K

4.1%

$50K-$60K

7.1%

$60K-$75K

9.8%

$75K-$100K

13.3%

$100K-$125K

9.2%

$125K-$150K

5.8%

$150K-$200K

7.7%

$200K+

6.8%

Employment

5.4% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%

58.9% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 68.1%

Renter 31.9%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.8x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $904/mo 17.1% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

20.7%

18-34

22.5%

35-54

23.6%

55-74

25.3%

75+

7.9%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 45 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Erie County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Erie	93,850	$46,113	23.3%	$115,200
Northwest Harborcreek	8,753	$93,617	6.8%	$225,800
Corry	6,116	$48,618	25.9%	$96,800
Edinboro	5,440	$48,173	20.5%	$222,700
North East	4,054	$68,828	19.2%	$167,000
Lawrence Park	3,775	$74,548	15.0%	$138,800
Wesleyville	3,179	$48,952	16.0%	$108,600
Girard	2,962	$71,165	8.8%	$160,500
Lake City	2,895	$75,048	10.8%	$165,600
Union City	2,887	$44,004	23.7%	$88,100
Fairview	2,691	$86,645	8.1%	$209,600
Avonia	1,793	$99,931	1.7%	$248,800
Penn State Erie (Behrend)	1,607	N/A	N/A	N/A
Waterford	1,301	$51,250	16.1%	$167,600
Albion	1,277	$55,556	13.1%	$141,100
Cranesville	750	$76,167	8.4%	$133,300
Platea	591	$67,125	11.2%	$173,600
McKean	437	$71,667	15.3%	$208,800
Wattsburg	341	$53,516	34.4%	$104,900
Mill Village	334	$61,528	9.3%	$135,900
Elgin	181	$61,518	6.6%	$99,300

Explore Pennsylvania Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Erie County is located in Pennsylvania with a total population of 269,052. It is the 15th most populous county out of 67 in Pennsylvania. The county encompasses 21 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Erie County is 40.2 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Erie County is $63,354. This is 19% lower than the state median of $77,971. It is also 22% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.0%. This is 28% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 5.4%. This is 3% higher than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $177,000. Housing costs are 30% lower than the state median of $254,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Erie County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 68.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% lower than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Erie County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 81.8% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 7.0%.

Education

30.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 14% 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 92.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Erie 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Erie County, Pennsylvania?

Erie County has a population of 269,052, making it the 15th most populous county in Pennsylvania.

What is the median income in Erie County?

The median household income in Erie County is $63,354 with a poverty rate of 15.0%.

How many cities are in Erie County, Pennsylvania?

Erie County contains 21 Census-designated places.