CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Altoona

Pennsylvania · 51,881 residents · 9.79 sq mi

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Altoona is home to 51,881 people in Pennsylvania. Median home value sits at $30,600. 9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That trails the Pennsylvania median by roughly 29%. Getting to work takes 13 minutes on average. Median rent is $285 a month.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 36.0

US median: 33.0

Less educated

9% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 30%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

51,881

+5%vs 2000

vs 49,523 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

36.0

−4%vs 2000

vs 37.4 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

9.79 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202443K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.6%(3,403)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.7%(3,490)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.9%(3,600)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 197.4%(3,827)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246%(3,135)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415%(7,790)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4413.3%(6,924)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.6%(4,955)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.8%(5,103)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 7410.7%(5,526)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 846.2%(3,214)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.8%(914)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$20,695

−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $28,248 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,398

−32%vs 2000

vs $15,213 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

18.0%

+0.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 17.7% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$30,600

−30%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $57,600 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$285

−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $381 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

66.1%

+0.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 65.9% in 2000

33.9% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic95.6%(47,342)

Black2.4%(1,202)

Hispanic / Latino0.7%(367)

Asian0.3%(156)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98%(50,825)

Black1.5%(796)

Hispanic / Latino0.3%(141)

Asian0.3%(143)

Other0.2%(117)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Puerto Rican0.5%(200)

Central American0.3%(115)

Panamanian0.3%(115)

Dominican0.2%(94)

Cuban0.2%(80)

Mexican0.1%(51)

South American0.1%(48)

Colombian0.1%(41)

Ecuadorian0%(7)

Spaniard0%(6)

Asian origin

Chinese0.3%(126)

Asian Indian0.2%(102)

Cambodian0.1%(58)

Filipino0.1%(41)

Vietnamese0%(9)

Japanese0%(8)

Korean0%(6)

Thai0%(1)

Pacific Islander origin

Chamorro0%(10)

Ancestry

German30.7%(13,279)

Irish18.5%(7,976)

Italian13%(5,604)

English7.7%(3,326)

American4.6%(1,978)

Polish4.4%(1,922)

French1.5%(641)

Scottish1.3%(542)

Dutch1.1%(458)

Scotch-Irish0.7%(285)

Welsh0.6%(249)

Russian0.4%(192)

+ 28 more ancestry groups with data

British0.4%(183)

Canadian0.4%(182)

Hungarian0.4%(164)

Ukrainian0.4%(164)

Slovak0.3%(151)

Norwegian0.3%(146)

French Canadian0.3%(125)

Swedish0.3%(123)

Austrian0.2%(103)

Swiss0.2%(102)

Czech0.2%(93)

Greek0.2%(90)

Lithuanian0.2%(87)

Subsaharan African0.2%(82)

Arab0.2%(71)

Croatian0.2%(65)

Portuguese0.1%(59)

Lebanese0.1%(40)

Belgian0.1%(35)

Nigerian0.1%(35)

Bulgarian0.1%(28)

West Indian0.1%(27)

Serbian0%(21)

Haitian0%(20)

Danish0%(11)

Syrian0%(9)

Slovene0%(7)

Jamaican0%(7)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest English population · Largest American population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

9.5%

−2.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 12.1% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

73.3%

−8.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 82.0% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.7%

−0.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.0% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

13.2 min

+9%vs 2000

vs 12.2 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married36.7%(6,433)

Married46.3%(8,102)

Widowed3.4%(602)

Divorced13.6%(2,373)

Women 15+

Never married32.6%(5,936)

Married41.6%(7,575)

Widowed10.4%(1,902)

Divorced15.4%(2,805)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

5.6%

−6.6 ptssince 2013

from 12.2% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

48.0%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 48.2% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

12.4%

−1.8 ptssince 2020

from 14.2% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

21.3%

+0.7 ptssince 2020

from 20.6% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

34.0%

+0.7 ptssince 2020

from 33.3% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

3.0%

−1.1 ptssince 2020

from 4.1% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

59.0%

−3.0 ptssince 2020

from 62.0% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

49.7%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 49.8% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)23.9%(668)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)21.1%(590)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era33.2%(926)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War5.8%(163)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.5%(15)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,792 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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