York County, Pennsylvania Demographics 2026

Population Overview

York County is located in Pennsylvania with a total population of 462,924. It is the 8th most populous county out of 67 in Pennsylvania. The county encompasses 54 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in York County is 41.1 years. This is about the same as the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in York County is $84,829. This is 9% higher than the state median of $77,971. It is also 5% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.4%. This is 29% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 4.5%. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $248,600. Housing costs are 2% lower than the state median of $254,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, York County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in York County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 78.9% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 9.6%. The Asian population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 3.8%.

Education

27.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 21% 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 92.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for York 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.