New Castle is home to 21,579 people in Pennsylvania. 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $77,400. The poverty rate is 28.0%, above the 12.5% national rate. That trails the Pennsylvania median by roughly 46%. 2% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $42,219, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about New Castle
What changed most since 1990
Population28,334 → 21,579(−24%)US over the same years: +35%
Median home value (2024 dollars)$69,362 → $77,400(+12%)US over the same years: +67%
Homes owned by their occupants63.3% → 54.8%(−8.4 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
New Castle's population equals 25% of Lawrence County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 60% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 54% of the county's.
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%(297)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)33.5%(416)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.5%(304)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3%(37)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(13)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,242 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
Over time
New Castle, decade by decade
New Castle population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
28,334
$41,048
$69,362
8.6%
20.3
2000
26,309
$46,631
$78,331
12.0%
30.2
2010
23,273
$44,150
$81,423
13.8%
38.5
2020
21,926
$42,563
$76,116
16.3%
53.0
2024
21,579
$42,219
$77,400
16.3%
50.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
