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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Lackawanna County

Pennsylvania · 215,896 residents · 459 sq mi
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Lackawanna County is a county of 215,896 people in Pennsylvania. At a median age of 42.6, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $154,700. 6% of locals were born outside the United States. Renters pay $799 a month at the median. Households here earn about 15% less than in Pennsylvania as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 42.6
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
215,896
+1%since 2000
from 213,295 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
42.6
+6%since 2000
from 40.3 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
459 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
208K211K214K217K220K19902000201020202024Lackawanna County
2024216K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.9%(10,503)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(11,694)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.9%(12,639)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.4%(13,773)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.3%(13,612)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.1%(26,082)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.6%(25,123)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.4%(26,830)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.3%(30,913)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411.7%(25,347)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.1%(13,204)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.9%(6,176)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,064
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,438 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,452
+63%since 2000
from $18,710 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
35.3%
+10.4 ptssince 2009
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
13.8%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 10.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.2%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade10.1%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance6.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Other services6.4%
US avg: 6.6%
Professional, scientific, technical6%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade5.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$154,700
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $91,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$799
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $440 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
63.0%
−4.6 ptssince 2000
from 67.6% in 2000
37.0% rent
Persons per household
2.31 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.30 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.9
−6%since 2009
from 3.0 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-Hispanic95.9%(204,560)
Black1.2%(2,662)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(2,958)
Asian0.7%(1,582)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic81.2%(175,246)
Black3.4%(7,415)
Hispanic / Latino8.5%(18,267)
Asian3.1%(6,762)
Other2.3%(4,927)
Segregation Score
40
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 Rican4%(8,389)
Mexican1.4%(3,015)
Central American0.9%(1,865)
Dominican0.7%(1,528)
Honduran0.6%(1,233)
Salvadoran0.2%(354)
Cuban0.1%(284)
Colombian0.1%(249)
Ecuadorian0.1%(227)
Spaniard0.1%(222)
Peruvian0.1%(175)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Uruguayan0.1%(147)
Guatemalan0.1%(134)
Argentine0%(99)
Chilean0%(39)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.1%(2,302)
Chinese0.5%(1,031)
Nepalese0.4%(795)
Filipino0.2%(436)
Korean0.1%(259)
Pakistani0.1%(204)
Vietnamese0.1%(147)
Bhutanese0.1%(146)
Bangladeshi0.1%(121)
Laotian0%(85)
Japanese0%(38)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0%(30)
Taiwanese0%(15)
Thai0%(15)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(1)
Ancestry
Irish25.2%(52,887)
Italian21%(44,124)
Polish15.4%(32,426)
German15.3%(32,230)
English6.8%(14,295)
Welsh4.7%(9,879)
American3.9%(8,205)
Russian3.5%(7,308)
Slovak2%(4,256)
Lithuanian1.5%(3,068)
Ukrainian1.2%(2,586)
French1.1%(2,397)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1%(2,108)
Hungarian0.8%(1,585)
Dutch0.7%(1,555)
Greek0.5%(972)
Swedish0.3%(724)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(674)
Lebanese0.3%(658)
Swiss0.3%(626)
Austrian0.3%(616)
Portuguese0.2%(439)
British0.2%(429)
West Indian0.2%(411)
Czech0.2%(386)
Norwegian0.2%(343)
Brazilian0.1%(308)
Iranian0.1%(266)
Slovene0.1%(215)
Ghanaian0.1%(209)
Canadian0.1%(199)
Syrian0.1%(190)
Turkish0.1%(167)
Romanian0.1%(128)
Croatian0.1%(111)
Latvian0.1%(109)
Armenian0.1%(107)
Danish0%(97)
Bulgarian0%(88)
Jamaican0%(88)
Finnish0%(77)
Haitian0%(70)
Israeli0%(65)
Serbian0%(57)
Nigerian0%(50)
Guyanese0%(45)
Kenyan0%(44)
Egyptian0%(43)
Ethiopian0%(41)
Belgian0%(40)
Barbadian0%(22)
Moroccan0%(20)
Arab0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
28.7%
+9.1 ptssince 2000
from 19.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.5%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 82.0% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
10.8%
+3.7 ptssince 2000
from 7.2% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.8 min
+71%since 2000
from 12.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
78.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 79.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
9.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.2%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
59.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 61.5% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.1%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
35.4%
+3.5 ptssince 2009
from 31.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 47.6% in 2009
Female
51.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 52.4% in 2009
Foreign born
5.6%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.4%
−4.7 ptssince 2013
from 9.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
87.8%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
87.5%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married40.3%(35,349)
Married46.5%(40,741)
Widowed3.9%(3,449)
Divorced9.2%(8,093)
Women 15+
Never married33.1%(30,590)
Married43.9%(40,630)
Widowed10.7%(9,923)
Divorced12.3%(11,336)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.4%
−4.7 ptssince 2013
from 9.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
56.4%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
16.3%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
21.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
22.7%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.1%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
71.0%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
40.9%
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)13.1%(1,611)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)11.4%(1,398)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era36.9%(4,532)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War9.2%(1,131)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.6%(570)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 12,271 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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Compare Lackawanna County to nearby counties

LACKAWANNA COUNTY VS
Wyoming County
Income$72,460+34%
Home value$215,400+39%
Population25,790−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LACKAWANNA COUNTY VS
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Income$62,381+15%
Home value$242,100+56%
Population51,703−76%
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LACKAWANNA COUNTY VS
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Income$63,691+18%
Home value$174,100+13%
Population332,126+53%
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LACKAWANNA COUNTY VS
Susquehanna County
Income$68,487+27%
Home value$216,400+40%
Population38,237−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania?

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania has about 215,896 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania earns about $54,064 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania expensive?

In Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, the median home is worth about $154,700, and the typical rent is about $799 a month.

How educated are people in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania?

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

What is the poverty rate in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania?

About 13.8% of people in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania grown since 1990?

Yes, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 3,143 residents, a change of about -1 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 →