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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Erie Metro

Erie, PA · 1 counties · 280,843 residents · 799 sq mi
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The short version

Erie is home to 280,843 people. The typical home is worth $82,500, having risen by half since 1990. Getting to work takes 12 minutes on average. Median rent is $445 a month. About 21% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The median household earns $36,627, about 14% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 36.2
US median: 35.2
Average education
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
280,843
+2%since 1990
from 275,572 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
352 / sq mi
+2%since 1990
from 345 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
36.2
+10%since 1990
from 33.0 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
799 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
268K271K275K278K282K19902000201020202024Erie
2024269K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.2%(17,440)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.1%(19,997)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.2%(20,251)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 198%(22,404)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 247.3%(20,419)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.5%(35,225)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.1%(42,507)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.6%(38,188)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.6%(24,156)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747.1%(19,968)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 845.5%(15,396)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.7%(4,892)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$36,627
+5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $26,581 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$17,932
+46%since 1990
from $12,317 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
12.0%
−0.9 ptssince 1990
from 12.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$82,500
+17%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $53,600 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$445
+3%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $329 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
69.2%
+0.6 ptssince 1990
from 68.6% in 1990
30.8% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic93.6%(258,046)
Black5.2%(14,390)
Hispanic / Latino1.1%(3,068)
Asian0.5%(1,415)
2000
White, non-Hispanic89.8%(252,258)
Black6%(16,876)
Hispanic / Latino2.2%(6,126)
Asian0.7%(1,902)

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 Rican2.8%(7,572)
Mexican0.8%(2,103)
Cuban0.2%(413)
Dominican0.1%(397)
Spaniard0.1%(364)
Colombian0.1%(281)
Peruvian0.1%(224)
Costa Rican0.1%(176)
Guatemalan0.1%(143)
Honduran0.1%(138)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.6%(1,480)
Nepalese0.3%(881)
Vietnamese0.3%(777)
Filipino0.3%(746)
Chinese0.2%(573)
Kazakh0.1%(321)
Korean0.1%(252)
Bangladeshi0.1%(206)
Bhutanese0.1%(159)
Pakistani0.1%(138)
Japanese0%(58)
Mongolian0%(55)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(51)
Cambodian0%(35)
Laotian0%(17)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(4)
Ancestry
German22.4%(60,402)
Irish13.2%(35,471)
Italian10.6%(28,616)
Polish10.1%(27,292)
English8.5%(22,850)
American3.9%(10,600)
Swedish1.9%(5,219)
Scottish1.6%(4,352)
French1.5%(4,068)
Russian1%(2,763)
Dutch1%(2,667)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Slovak1%(2,604)
Ukrainian0.9%(2,491)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(2,473)
Arab0.8%(2,065)
Hungarian0.8%(2,023)
Welsh0.6%(1,600)
Czech0.5%(1,395)
Swiss0.4%(992)
Norwegian0.3%(867)
Lithuanian0.2%(606)
Portuguese0.2%(590)
Danish0.2%(589)
British0.2%(588)
Syrian0.2%(542)
Greek0.2%(465)
Austrian0.2%(464)
Croatian0.2%(451)
West Indian0.2%(432)
Finnish0.2%(423)
Iraqi0.2%(419)
Lebanese0.1%(336)
Canadian0.1%(326)
Ethiopian0.1%(308)
Romanian0.1%(292)
Armenian0.1%(258)
Jamaican0.1%(235)
Somali0.1%(185)
Egyptian0.1%(169)
Belgian0.1%(158)
Slovene0%(134)
Serbian0%(112)
Kenyan0%(109)
Nigerian0%(107)
Haitian0%(99)
Iranian0%(64)
Turkish0%(42)
Jordanian0%(36)
Ghanaian0%(29)
Moroccan0%(27)
Brazilian0%(23)
Latvian0%(10)
Israeli0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
20.9%
+4.7 ptssince 1990
from 16.2% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
84.6%
+7.2 ptssince 1990
from 77.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
7.6%
+2.2 ptssince 1990
from 5.5% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
11.5 min
−29%since 1990
from 16.2 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.9%(33,035)
Married57.8%(61,848)
Widowed3.1%(3,333)
Divorced8.2%(8,742)
Women 15+
Never married26.2%(30,469)
Married52.8%(61,374)
Widowed11.4%(13,185)
Divorced9.6%(11,123)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
4.2%
−4.5 ptssince 2013
from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.6%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 55.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.8%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 20.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.4%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 25.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 3.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.6%
−2.8 ptssince 2020
from 69.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
44.7%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.9%(2,914)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.9%(5,110)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(816)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.2%(183)
US avg: 1%

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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro

Largest cities

ErieCENTRAL91,838Northwest Harborcreek8,753Corry5,993Edinboro5,790North East4,018Lawrence Park3,775Wesleyville3,112Girard2,906Lake City2,842Union City2,823Fairview2,691Avonia1,793Penn State Erie (Behrend)1,607Albion1,479Waterford1,430Cranesville563McKean477Platea431Mill378Wattsburg340Elgin198
What's inside

1 component county

Erie CountyCENTRAL265,832
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Erie

Laredo
Pop 281,224
Binghamton
Pop 243,189
Lynchburg
Pop 269,169
Lake Charles
Pop 244,655
Places similar to Erie
Head to head

Compare Erie side by side

ERIE VS
Laredo
Income$63,058+72%
Home value$189,900+130%
Population281,224+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE VS
Binghamton
Income$64,592+76%
Home value$156,052+89%
Population243,189−9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE VS
Lynchburg
Income$67,702+85%
Home value$243,239+195%
Population269,169+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ERIE VS
Lake Charles
Income$66,385+81%
Home value$208,042+152%
Population244,655−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Erie, PA?

Erie, PA has about 280,843 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Erie, PA?

The typical household in Erie, PA earns about $36,627 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 $82,500, and the typical rent is about $445 a month.

How educated are people in Erie, PA?

About 20.9% 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 12.0% of people in Erie, PA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Erie, PA grown since 1990?

Yes, Erie, PA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 5,271 residents, a change of about 2 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →