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CITY · 2020 ACS

Harrisburg

Pennsylvania · 50,099 residents · 8.12 sq mi
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The short version

With 50,099 people, Harrisburg is a city in Pennsylvania. 32% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 26.5%, above the 12.8% national rate. The typical home is worth $85,500, having risen by half since 2000. This skews young, with a median age of 33.5. Households here earn about 34% less than in Pennsylvania as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 33.5
US median: 38.8
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

50,099
+2%since 2000
from 48,950 in 2000
1990 – 2025
33.5
+2%since 2000
from 33.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
8.12 sq mi
Population, 19902024
47K48K50K51K53K19902000201020202024Harrisburg
202450K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 57.2%(3,614)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.7%(3,855)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.8%(3,415)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.2%(3,097)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.1%(3,564)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3417.1%(8,587)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.6%(6,319)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.9%(5,466)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.1%(6,071)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.2%(4,133)
US avg: 10%
75 to 842.9%(1,433)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.1%(545)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$41,831
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,920 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
$23,191
+47%since 2000
from $15,787 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
22.2%
+6.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
26.5%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 24.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information10.6%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services8.5%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance7.6%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical7.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Retail trade7%
US avg: 10%
Public administration6.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Wholesale trade1.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$85,500
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $56,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
$846
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $479 in 2000
US average: $1,124
32.2%
−10.1 ptssince 2000
from 42.3% in 2000
67.8% rent
2.29 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.27 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
2.0
−16%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic28.6%(13,988)
Black53.7%(26,292)
Hispanic / Latino11.7%(5,724)
Asian2.8%(1,370)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic22.8%(11,405)
Black42.4%(21,263)
Hispanic / Latino25.8%(12,904)
Asian3.5%(1,768)
Other2.8%(1,404)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican14.8%(7,303)
Dominican2.7%(1,337)
Mexican2.2%(1,065)
Peruvian1%(476)
Cuban0.9%(454)
Colombian0.7%(340)
Ecuadorian0.2%(117)
Guatemalan0.1%(70)
Spaniard0.1%(59)
Honduran0.1%(47)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.1%(36)
Chilean0%(23)
Bolivian0%(19)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.7%(363)
Pakistani0.7%(346)
Nepalese0.5%(238)
Asian Indian0.4%(177)
Chinese0.3%(167)
Korean0.2%(121)
Bhutanese0.2%(87)
Cambodian0.1%(51)
Filipino0.1%(47)
Thai0%(24)
Ancestry
German8.4%(4,136)
Irish5.9%(2,892)
English3.9%(1,945)
Italian2.8%(1,391)
American2.1%(1,017)
Polish1.2%(579)
West Indian0.9%(443)
Scottish0.6%(284)
Jamaican0.6%(272)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(253)
French0.3%(150)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
Nigerian0.3%(149)
Welsh0.3%(143)
Hungarian0.2%(117)
Dutch0.2%(102)
British0.2%(100)
Egyptian0.2%(99)
Syrian0.2%(97)
Haitian0.2%(97)
Slovak0.2%(88)
Norwegian0.2%(86)
Russian0.1%(69)
Swiss0.1%(64)
Czech0.1%(63)
Lithuanian0.1%(52)
Greek0.1%(45)
Danish0.1%(42)
Canadian0.1%(41)
Croatian0.1%(26)
Serbian0%(20)
Swedish0%(20)
Ukrainian0%(20)
Lebanese0%(16)
Guyanese0%(16)
Romanian0%(16)
Austrian0%(13)
Latvian0%(11)
Slovene0%(7)
Israeli0%(6)
Section 05

Education

22.6%
+8.3 ptssince 2000
from 14.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
81.5%
+9.1 ptssince 2000
from 72.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
8.3%
+2.6 ptssince 2000
from 5.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

19.2 min
+59%since 2000
from 12.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
60.4%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 64.4% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
24.3%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 28.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

8.5%
−4.5 ptssince 2011
from 12.9% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
67.3%
+2.6 ptssince 2011
from 64.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.2%
US average: 73.3%
31.9%
+6.9 ptssince 2009
from 25.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

48.2%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 46.3% in 2009
51.8%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 53.7% in 2009
9.0%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
9.2%
−7.9 ptssince 2013
from 17.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
87.8%
US average: 91.9%
74.1%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married49.7%(9,050)
Married36.1%(6,564)
Widowed3.5%(633)
Divorced10.7%(1,952)
Women 15+
Never married45.4%(9,164)
Married33.7%(6,791)
Widowed8%(1,616)
Divorced12.9%(2,607)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

9.2%
−7.9 ptssince 2013
from 17.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
43.0%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
9.4%
US average: 13.7%
13.7%
US average: 17.6%
41.7%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.2%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
50.5%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
50.4%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.1%(369)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)20.1%(410)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era36.4%(743)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.3%(88)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.1%(23)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 2,044 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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Frequently asked

How many people live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has about 50,099 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?

The typical household in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania earns about $41,831 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania expensive?

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $85,500, and the typical rent is about $846 a month.

How educated are people in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?

About 22.6% of adults age 25 and over in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?

About 26.5% of people in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.

Has Harrisburg, Pennsylvania grown since 1990?

Yes, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 2,277 residents, a change of about -4 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →