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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Altoona Metro

Altoona, PA · 1 counties · 130,542 residents · 525 sq mi
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The short version

Altoona is home to 130,542 people. Median home value sits at $40,700. 10% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. At a median age of 36.2, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 73% of homes are owner-occupied. Renters pay $299 a month at the median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 36.2
US median: 33.0
Less educated
10% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 25%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

130,542
+1%vs 2000
vs 129,144 in 2000
1990 – 2025
249 / sq mi
+1%vs 2000
vs 246 / sq mi in 2000
36.2
−8%vs 2000
vs 39.5 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
525 sq mi
Population, 19902024
120K123K126K129K131K19902000201020202024Altoona
2024121K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.3%(8,235)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.7%(8,684)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.3%(9,518)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.4%(9,661)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.8%(7,574)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3414.7%(19,164)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.4%(18,741)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.3%(13,454)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 6410.2%(13,332)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 749.8%(12,780)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 845.5%(7,232)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.7%(2,167)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$23,271
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $32,861 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$11,233
−33%vs 2000
vs $16,743 in 2000
US average: $14,340
14.1%
+1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 12.6% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$40,700
−25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $71,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$299
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $411 in 2000
US average: $450
72.6%
−0.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 72.9% in 2000
27.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic97.3%(125,641)
Black1.2%(1,495)
Hispanic / Latino0.5%(662)
Asian0.4%(461)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic98.7%(128,829)
Black0.8%(1,075)
Hispanic / Latino0.3%(345)
Asian0.3%(364)
Other0.2%(274)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican0.4%(465)
Mexican0.2%(205)
Venezuelan0.1%(152)
Ecuadorian0.1%(145)
Cuban0.1%(142)
Dominican0.1%(132)
Panamanian0.1%(115)
Guatemalan0.1%(61)
Colombian0%(49)
Spaniard0%(40)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.3%(315)
Asian Indian0.2%(228)
Cambodian0%(58)
Filipino0%(57)
Pakistani0%(41)
Korean0%(33)
Japanese0%(29)
Thai0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(10)
Ancestry
German34.8%(42,144)
Irish17%(20,597)
Italian9.6%(11,682)
English9.1%(11,096)
American6%(7,258)
Polish4.1%(5,027)
Scottish1.6%(1,982)
French1.2%(1,489)
Dutch1.1%(1,355)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(1,026)
Slovak0.7%(883)
Welsh0.7%(880)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
Swiss0.7%(791)
Ukrainian0.5%(590)
Swedish0.4%(474)
Russian0.4%(437)
Czech0.3%(359)
Hungarian0.3%(349)
British0.3%(310)
Arab0.3%(304)
Greek0.2%(262)
Norwegian0.2%(249)
Croatian0.2%(247)
Canadian0.2%(192)
Austrian0.1%(176)
Syrian0.1%(137)
Lebanese0.1%(120)
Lithuanian0.1%(114)
West Indian0.1%(105)
Belgian0.1%(94)
Portuguese0.1%(84)
Nigerian0.1%(68)
Jamaican0%(54)
Danish0%(49)
Romanian0%(48)
Slovene0%(33)
Bulgarian0%(28)
Serbian0%(25)
Haitian0%(20)
Finnish0%(19)
Jordanian0%(12)
Egyptian0%(10)
Brazilian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

10.5%
−3.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.9% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
75.0%
−8.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 83.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
3.8%
−0.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 4.7% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

16.2 min
+24%vs 2000
vs 13.1 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married34.1%(16,911)
Married50.9%(25,216)
Widowed3.8%(1,908)
Divorced11.2%(5,549)
Women 15+
Never married27.6%(14,277)
Married47.9%(24,725)
Widowed11.7%(6,022)
Divorced12.8%(6,637)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

5.8%
−3.8 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
54.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 54.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.7%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
23.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 23.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
24.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 24.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 3.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 68.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
44.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 44.6% 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)19.7%(1,663)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.1%(1,442)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39%(3,290)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(419)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(85)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,437 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.

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In this metro

Largest cities

The 30 most populous of 94 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

1 component county

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Frequently asked

How many people live in Altoona, PA?

Altoona, PA has about 130,542 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Altoona, PA?

The typical household in Altoona, PA earns about $23,271 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Altoona, PA expensive?

In Altoona, PA, the median home is worth about $40,700, and the typical rent is about $299 a month.

How educated are people in Altoona, PA?

About 10.5% of adults age 25 and over in Altoona, PA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Altoona, PA?

About 14.1% of people in Altoona, PA live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

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