With 9,468 people, Oil City is a city in Pennsylvania. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. The typical home is worth $74,100, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 2%. Households here earn about 34% less than in Pennsylvania as a whole. The average commute runs 18 minutes.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $51,316, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.3
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 Oil City
What changed most since 1990
White share98.3% → 93.5%(−4.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Population11,949 → 9,468(−21%)US over the same years: +35%
Oil City's population equals 19% of Venango County's. Its number of households without a car equals 36% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 34% 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)10.5%(68)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.5%(133)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.9%(162)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8%(52)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.7%(11)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 650 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
Oil City, decade by decade
Oil City 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
11,949
$48,988
$69,122
14.1%
4.2
2000
11,504
$52,937
$73,231
14.5%
6.5
2010
10,557
$43,157
$69,051
13.3%
11.3
2020
9,613
$50,410
$68,480
23.9%
21.1
2024
9,468
$51,316
$74,100
16.5%
15.4
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.
