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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Erie County

Pennsylvania · 270,876 residents · 799 sq mi
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The short version

With 270,876 people, Erie County is a county in Pennsylvania. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $138,500. The foreign-born share is 4%. The average commute runs 20 minutes. Median rent is $758 a month. That trails the Pennsylvania median by roughly 17%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 40.6
US median: 38.8
Average education
29% 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

Total population
270,876
−4%since 2000
from 280,843 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
40.6
+12%since 2000
from 36.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
799 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
268K271K275K278K282K19902000201020202024Erie County
2024269K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.2%(14,038)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(15,411)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.2%(16,872)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.8%(18,445)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.3%(19,723)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.1%(32,886)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.5%(31,193)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412%(32,448)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.2%(38,373)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411.3%(30,554)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.4%(14,621)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.3%(6,312)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$52,863
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,627 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,001
+62%since 2000
from $17,932 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
33.7%
+9.7 ptssince 2009
from 24.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
15.5%
+3.5 ptssince 2000
from 12.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade15.9%
US avg: 10%
Information10.7%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services6.5%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration5.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade5.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$138,500
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $82,500 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$758
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $445 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
65.8%
−3.4 ptssince 2000
from 69.2% in 2000
34.2% rent
Persons per household
2.35 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.6
+6%since 2009
from 2.5 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-Hispanic89.8%(252,258)
Black6%(16,876)
Hispanic / Latino2.2%(6,126)
Asian0.7%(1,902)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic80.9%(219,180)
Black7.3%(19,821)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(12,030)
Asian2.3%(6,358)
Other3.3%(8,931)
Segregation Score
45
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 Rican2.5%(6,777)
Mexican0.8%(2,245)
Salvadoran0.2%(614)
Dominican0.1%(404)
Colombian0.1%(277)
Spaniard0.1%(272)
Guatemalan0.1%(166)
Honduran0%(98)
Cuban0%(88)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Nepalese0.4%(1,014)
Asian Indian0.4%(969)
Chinese0.3%(809)
Bhutanese0.2%(627)
Vietnamese0.2%(519)
Filipino0.2%(498)
Korean0.1%(273)
Pakistani0%(55)
Cambodian0%(53)
Japanese0%(46)
Thai0%(29)
Burmese0%(17)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(33)
Chamorro0%(26)
Ancestry
German25.5%(69,388)
Irish15.6%(42,360)
Italian12.1%(33,034)
Polish11.8%(32,016)
English7.8%(21,259)
American3.1%(8,562)
Swedish2%(5,335)
French1.8%(4,915)
Scottish1.7%(4,537)
Slovak1.4%(3,766)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(3,675)
Russian1.1%(3,115)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1%(2,749)
Hungarian0.8%(2,279)
Welsh0.7%(1,975)
Ukrainian0.7%(1,935)
Czech0.5%(1,471)
British0.5%(1,282)
Greek0.4%(1,050)
Swiss0.4%(1,040)
Iraqi0.4%(1,005)
Portuguese0.3%(805)
Danish0.3%(788)
Austrian0.2%(653)
Lithuanian0.2%(621)
Romanian0.2%(548)
West Indian0.2%(527)
Norwegian0.2%(478)
Croatian0.2%(439)
Finnish0.1%(393)
Jamaican0.1%(365)
Lebanese0.1%(362)
Armenian0.1%(352)
Canadian0.1%(283)
Slovene0.1%(245)
Turkish0.1%(203)
Syrian0.1%(169)
Kenyan0.1%(144)
Egyptian0%(114)
Bulgarian0%(93)
Belgian0%(91)
Haitian0%(81)
Ethiopian0%(69)
Moroccan0%(68)
Arab0%(66)
Brazilian0%(59)
Latvian0%(52)
Nigerian0%(42)
Somali0%(39)
Iranian0%(27)
Serbian0%(21)
Guyanese0%(20)
Jordanian0%(12)
Ghanaian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
28.7%
+7.8 ptssince 2000
from 20.9% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.5%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 84.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
10.3%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 7.6% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.8 min
+72%since 2000
from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
78.5%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 80.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
10.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
60.3%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 62.1% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.2%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
35.8%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 32.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
4.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.5%
−4.2 ptssince 2013
from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
89.4%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
85.5%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married40%(44,229)
Married47%(51,905)
Widowed3%(3,296)
Divorced10%(11,037)
Women 15+
Never married32.2%(36,522)
Married46.5%(52,658)
Widowed8.9%(10,124)
Divorced12.3%(13,952)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.5%
−4.2 ptssince 2013
from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
55.7%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
15.2%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
20.6%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
25.0%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.2%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
69.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
41.9%
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)16%(2,892)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)16%(2,888)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era37.8%(6,828)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8%(1,445)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.8%(693)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 18,080 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

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Head to head

Compare Erie County to nearby counties

ERIE COUNTY VS
Crawford County
Income$60,476+14%
Home value$153,200+11%
Population81,792−69%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE COUNTY VS
Ashtabula County
Income$57,728+9%
Home value$159,500+15%
Population96,713−64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE COUNTY VS
Chautauqua County
Income$58,351+10%
Home value$127,900−8%
Population124,126−53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE COUNTY VS
Warren County
Income$60,480+14%
Home value$127,500−8%
Population37,038−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Erie County, Pennsylvania?

Erie County, Pennsylvania has about 270,876 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Erie County, Pennsylvania earns about $52,863 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Erie County, Pennsylvania expensive?

In Erie County, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $138,500, and the typical rent is about $758 a month.

How educated are people in Erie County, Pennsylvania?

About 28.7% of adults age 25 and over in Erie County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Erie County, Pennsylvania?

About 15.5% of people in Erie County, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.

Has Erie County, Pennsylvania grown since 1990?

Yes, Erie County, Pennsylvania has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 4,696 residents, a change of about -2 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 →