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COUNTY

Carbon County

Pennsylvania · 65,868 residents (2025 est.) · 381 sq mi
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The short version

Carbon County is a county of 65,382 people in Pennsylvania. At a median age of 46.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. 76% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 4%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $211,400.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 46.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 43%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
65,382
+11%since 2000
from 58,802 in 2000
65,868 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
171 / sq mi
+4%since 2009
from 165 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
46.3
+14%since 2000
from 40.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
381 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
56K59K61K64K66K19902000201020202024Carbon County
202465K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.6%(2,979)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.8%(3,169)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.9%(3,863)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.6%(3,634)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.1%(3,313)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411%(7,163)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.8%(7,714)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.1%(8,584)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6415.6%(10,168)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.8%(9,027)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.5%(4,258)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.3%(1,510)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$67,554
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,113 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,548
+114%since 2000
from $17,064 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
44.6%
+20.4 ptssince 2009
from 24.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
12.3%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.429
+10%since 2010
from 0.388 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade12%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade9.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance8.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical7.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.4%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$211,400
+43%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $81,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$994
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $458 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
76.4%
−1.8 ptssince 2000
from 78.2% in 2000
23.6% rent
Vacancy rate
20.8%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 22.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.37 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.44 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.9%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 27.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
38.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 39.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.1
+14%since 2009
from 2.7 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.
Gentrification Score
26
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic96.9%(56,952)
Black0.6%(333)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(858)
Asian0.3%(183)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic87.9%(57,491)
Black1.9%(1,240)
Hispanic / Latino6.9%(4,522)
Asian0.6%(366)
Other2.7%(1,763)
Diversity Score
28
+110%since 2009
from 13 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
35
+26%since 2020
from 28 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican3.2%(2,117)
Mexican0.9%(594)
Dominican0.8%(517)
Spaniard0.3%(217)
Cuban0.3%(170)
Colombian0.2%(110)
Salvadoran0.1%(82)
Guatemalan0.1%(61)
Honduran0.1%(56)
Uruguayan0.1%(56)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(152)
Filipino0.1%(46)
Thai0.1%(46)
Japanese0.1%(41)
Pakistani0%(30)
Korean0%(21)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German32.4%(21,165)
Irish15%(9,793)
Italian8.7%(5,717)
English7%(4,588)
Polish6.5%(4,266)
American4.5%(2,913)
Slovak3.2%(2,114)
Dutch2.6%(1,704)
Welsh1.4%(937)
French1.1%(734)
Hungarian1.1%(702)
Russian1%(678)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish0.8%(554)
Ukrainian0.8%(540)
West Indian0.6%(406)
Portuguese0.6%(387)
Norwegian0.6%(380)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(308)
Austrian0.4%(285)
Romanian0.4%(275)
Czech0.4%(238)
Lithuanian0.3%(222)
Greek0.3%(218)
Jamaican0.3%(212)
British0.3%(186)
Arab0.3%(182)
Swedish0.1%(82)
Lebanese0.1%(72)
Canadian0.1%(67)
Egyptian0.1%(56)
Swiss0.1%(54)
Serbian0.1%(53)
Syrian0.1%(46)
Haitian0%(25)
Moroccan0%(22)
Nigerian0%(17)
Guyanese0%(10)
Slovene0%(10)
Kenyan0%(8)
Finnish0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.2%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.5%
+11.5 ptssince 2000
from 79.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
6.0%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
32.5 min
+49%since 2000
from 21.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
76.5%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 80.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.1%
+7.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.1%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 8.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
60.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2011
from 60.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.0%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 74.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
29.7%
+4.7 ptssince 2009
from 25.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
49.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
3.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.0%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
17.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2012
from 16.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.8%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 11.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.7%
+14.3 ptssince 2017
from 74.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
91.4%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 87.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 90.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
93.7%
−2.3 ptssince 2016
from 95.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2016
from 1.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.6%(9,024)
Married49%(13,568)
Widowed5.1%(1,425)
Divorced13.3%(3,692)
Women 15+
Never married27.1%(7,509)
Married47.2%(13,069)
Widowed12.1%(3,348)
Divorced13.5%(3,736)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.8%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 11.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
53.3%
−3.8 ptssince 2020
from 57.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.9%
−2.9 ptssince 2020
from 15.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
25.4%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 23.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.6%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 20.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.8%
−5.8 ptssince 2020
from 70.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
45.2%
+3.4 ptssince 2020
from 41.8% 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)17.6%(748)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.3%(651)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era43.2%(1,832)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3%(126)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(22)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 4,245 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Carbon County

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Pop 64,267
Williamson County
Pop 67,225
Tehama County
Pop 64,665
Crawford County
Pop 62,657
Places similar to Carbon County
Head to head

Compare Carbon County to nearby counties

CARBON COUNTY VS
Monroe County
Income$83,565+24%
Home value$267,600+27%
Population167,179+154%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARBON COUNTY VS
Lehigh County
Income$80,079+19%
Home value$300,400+42%
Population384,383+484%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARBON COUNTY VS
Luzerne County
Income$63,691−6%
Home value$174,100−18%
Population332,126+404%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARBON COUNTY VS
Northampton County
Income$89,184+32%
Home value$308,600+46%
Population324,411+393%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?

Carbon County, Pennsylvania has about 65,382 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?

The typical household in Carbon County, Pennsylvania earns about $67,554 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Carbon County, Pennsylvania expensive?

In Carbon County, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $211,400, and the typical rent is about $994 a month.

How educated are people in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?

About 19.2% of adults age 25 and over in Carbon County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?

About 12.3% of people in Carbon County, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.

Has Carbon County, Pennsylvania grown since 1990?

Yes, Carbon County, Pennsylvania has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,536 residents, a change of about 15 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 →