Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Lackawanna County is located in Pennsylvania with a total population of 216,146. It is the 17th most populous county out of 67 in Pennsylvania. The county encompasses 25 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lackawanna County is 41.9 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lackawanna County is $66,223. This is 15% lower than the state median of $77,971. It is also 18% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.4%. This is 23% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 4.9%. This is 7% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $201,800. Housing costs are 21% lower than the state median of $254,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 65.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% lower than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lackawanna County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 79.6% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 9.8%. The Black or African American population (3.0%) is well below the state average of 10.3%.

Education

30.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 13% 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 91.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lackawanna 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.