Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania Demographics & Population 2026

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

During the 2020–2024 ACS period, Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania had a total population of 783, the 1120th largest borough in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $83,875, which is 8% higher than the state average. The poverty rate is 13.0%.

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

Key Takeaways

49.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — top 10% in Pennsylvania.
Housing is very affordable with a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x.

Sandy Lake Quick Facts

Population 783

Median Household Income $83,875

Median Home Value $177,300

Poverty Rate 13.0%

Unemployment Rate 6.0%

Median Age 32.1 years

Homeownership Rate 62.9%

Affordability Ratio 2.1x

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 49.8%

High School Graduation Rate 93.7%

Diversity Index 7/100

Population 783 1120th of 1,991

Median Income $83,875 top 30%

Poverty Rate 13.0% 5% higher than national

Median Home Value $177,300 average

How Sandy Lake 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	752	783	+4.1%
Median household income	$67,292	$83,875	+24.6%
Median home value	$165,800	$177,300	+6.9%

How Sandy Lake Compares

Median Household Income

Sandy Lake

$83,875

$77,971

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Sandy Lake

$177,300

$254,500

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 7.3%

$25K-$50K 23.2%

$50K-$100K 31.4%

$100K+ 38.1%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.8%

$10K-$15K

0.3%

$15K-$20K

2.5%

$20K-$25K

0.6%

$25K-$30K

2.2%

$30K-$35K

12.1%

$35K-$40K

2.9%

$40K-$45K

4.1%

$45K-$50K

1.9%

$50K-$60K

6.7%

$60K-$75K

8.9%

$75K-$100K

15.9%

$100K-$125K

17.8%

$125K-$150K

8.9%

$150K-$200K

10.2%

$200K+

1.3%

Employment

6.0% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%

75.0% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 62.9%

Renter 37.1%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.1x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $751/mo 10.7% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

24.3%

18-34

32.8%

35-54

23.5%

55-74

16.7%

75+

2.7%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very 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+)

Sandy Lake Rankings in Pennsylvania

#1120 Population of 1,991

#524 Median Income of 1,854

#186 Education of 1,987

#900 Home Value of 1,871

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

Other Cities in Mercer County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Hermitage	16,041	$70,052	10.9%	$199,500
Sharon	12,936	$45,670	20.0%	$78,800
Grove City	7,830	$57,169	10.8%	$171,600
Greenville	5,523	$52,661	16.5%	$115,100
Farrell	4,199	$42,595	23.7%	$87,800
Sharpsville	4,187	$51,439	15.3%	$121,300
Mercer	2,006	$47,054	16.3%	$151,200
Reynolds Heights	1,845	$51,181	18.9%	$111,700
West Middlesex	980	$89,667	1.3%	$158,100
Wheatland	819	$40,536	34.4%	$67,700

Cities Similar to Sandy Lake

These cities in the same state have comparable population and economic profiles.

City	Population	Median Income	Home Value	Bachelor's+	Poverty
Lenkerville	775	N/A	N/A	9.9%	68.1%
Arcadia University	792	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
New Berlin	781	$89,286	$204,600	22.1%	11.5%
Dixonville	756	N/A	$91,300	11.8%	6.3%
Yukon	750	N/A	$120,100	9.6%	12.0%

A note before these figures: with a population of 783, Sandy 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

Sandy Lake is a small community located in Pennsylvania, within Mercer County. The total population is 783. It ranks as the 1120th most populous out of 1,991 Census-designated places in Pennsylvania.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sandy Lake is 32.1 years. This is 22% lower than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sandy Lake is $83,875. 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 13.0%. This is 11% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 6.0%. This is 14% higher than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $177,300. Housing costs are 30% lower than the state median of $254,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Sandy Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 62.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% lower than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Sandy Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 0.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 8.7%.

Education

49.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Sandy Lake in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 42% higher 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 93.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Sandy 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania?

Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania has a population of 783 according to the most recent U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.

What is the median household income in Sandy Lake, PA?

The median household income in Sandy Lake is $83,875, which is 4% higher than the national median of $80,734.

What is the poverty rate in Sandy Lake, PA?

The poverty rate in Sandy Lake is 13.0%. This means approximately 102 residents live below the federal poverty line.

What is the racial makeup of Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania?

Sandy Lake's population is 96.4% White, 0.0% Black, 0.1% Hispanic/Latino, and 0.0% Asian.

What is the median home value in Sandy Lake, PA?

The median home value in Sandy Lake is $177,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 2.1x.

How educated is Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania?

49.8% of adults (25+) in Sandy Lake hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 11.2% hold a graduate or professional degree.