United States › Erie METRO AREA
Erie Metro Erie, PA · 1 counties · 265,832 residents (2025 est.) · 799 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Erie is a metro area of 269,052 people. The typical home is worth $177,000, having more than doubled since 2000. 5% of residents were born outside the United States. Renters pay $904 a month at the median. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average. About 30% of adults have finished a four-year degree.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.2
US median: 38.9
Average education
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 280,843 in 2000
265,832 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 352 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
from 36.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
268K 271K 275K 278K 282K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Erie Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $63,354
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,627 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $17,932 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 24.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 12.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.440 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 5.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 4%
Transportation & warehousing 1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.8%
Education & health services 0.7%
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$177,000
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $82,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$904
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $445 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 69.2% in 2000
31.9% rent
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 23.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 45.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.5 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 89.8%(252,258)
Hispanic / Latino 2.2%(6,126)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 81.7%(219,947)
Hispanic / Latino 4.8%(12,851)
from 26 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 45 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
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data Asian origin
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data from 20.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 84.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 7.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 80.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 62.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 74.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 32.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 15.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 76.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 85.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 93.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 2.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Women 15+
Never married 32.2%(36,522)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 55.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 20.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 25.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 69.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 41.9% 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) 21.6%(3,169)
Gulf War (1990s) 19.9%(2,914)
Share of the 14,656 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 ErieCENTRAL 91,838 Northwest Harborcreek 8,753 Corry 5,993 Edinboro 5,790 North East 4,018 Lawrence Park 3,775 Wesleyville 3,112 Girard 2,906 Lake City 2,842 Union City 2,823 Fairview 2,691 Avonia 1,793 Penn State Erie (Behrend) 1,607 Albion 1,479 Waterford 1,430 Cranesville 563 McKean 477 Platea 431 Mill 378 Wattsburg 340 Elgin 198 What's inside
1 component county Drill deeper
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ERIE VS
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Lynchburg
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Erie, PA? Erie, PA has about 269,052 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Erie, PA? The typical household in Erie, PA earns about $63,354 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Erie, PA expensive? In Erie, PA, the median home is worth about $177,000, and the typical rent is about $904 a month.
How educated are people in Erie, PA? About 30.3% of adults age 25 and over in Erie, PA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Erie, PA? About 15.0% of people in Erie, PA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Erie, PA grown since 1990? Yes, Erie, PA has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 6,520 residents, a change of about -2 percent over that period.
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