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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Harrisburg Metro

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA · 3 counties · 591,712 residents · 1,622 sq mi
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The short version

With 591,712 people, Harrisburg is a metro area. 7% of residents were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $190,896, having more than doubled since 2000. The population is up 16% since 2000. The poverty rate is 9.5%, under the national 12.8%. About 33% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 40.5
US median: 38.8
Average education
33% 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
591,712
+16%since 2000
from 509,074 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
365 / sq mi
+16%since 2000
from 314 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
40.5
+7%since 2000
from 37.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,622 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
461K500K539K578K617K19902000201020202024Harrisburg
2024604K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.5%(32,367)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(35,593)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.1%(36,002)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196%(35,795)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(38,437)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.9%(76,218)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.2%(72,207)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.4%(73,131)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.9%(81,975)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411%(65,068)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.3%(31,520)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.3%(13,399)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$67,590
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,724 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,294
+62%since 2000
from $22,447 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
44.9%
+10.5 ptssince 2009
from 34.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
9.5%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 8.2% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.3%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade8.2%
US avg: 10%
Other services7.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance7.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration6.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade5%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.7%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
US avg: 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2%
Construction1.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$190,896
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $105,854 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$965
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $558 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
66.2%
−3.7 ptssince 2000
from 69.8% in 2000
33.8% rent
Persons per household
2.37 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.8
+1%since 2009
from 2.8 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-Hispanic85.1%(433,044)
Black9.2%(46,850)
Hispanic / Latino2.7%(13,588)
Asian1.7%(8,527)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic72.7%(430,003)
Black10%(59,274)
Hispanic / Latino7.5%(44,138)
Asian5.3%(31,158)
Other2.9%(16,911)
Segregation Score
46
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 Rican3.5%(20,087)
Mexican1.1%(6,455)
Dominican0.6%(3,475)
South American0.5%(2,831)
Central American0.3%(1,896)
Cuban0.2%(1,352)
Peruvian0.1%(818)
Colombian0.1%(767)
Guatemalan0.1%(615)
Honduran0.1%(583)
Ecuadorian0.1%(558)
Spaniard0.1%(407)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(360)
Salvadoran0%(246)
Nicaraguan0%(184)
Panamanian0%(174)
Chilean0%(133)
Bolivian0%(52)
Uruguayan0%(24)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.5%(8,756)
Chinese0.5%(3,040)
Vietnamese0.5%(2,971)
Nepalese0.4%(1,977)
Filipino0.2%(1,292)
Korean0.2%(1,254)
Bhutanese0.5%(1,253)
Pakistani0.2%(1,124)
Cambodian0.1%(582)
Japanese0.1%(477)
Indonesian0.1%(388)
Laotian0.1%(352)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0.1%(147)
Hmong0%(136)
Taiwanese0%(125)
Thai0%(78)
Malaysian0%(64)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(165)
Samoan0%(68)
Ancestry
German26.1%(149,983)
Irish11.5%(66,009)
Italian7.1%(40,527)
English6.8%(39,298)
American5.9%(34,203)
Polish3.3%(19,078)
French1.8%(10,096)
Scottish1.5%(8,915)
Dutch1.4%(8,222)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(7,707)
Welsh1.2%(6,730)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Swiss0.7%(4,130)
Swedish0.7%(4,094)
Hungarian0.7%(3,958)
British0.7%(3,854)
Russian0.7%(3,775)
Slovak0.6%(3,588)
Greek0.5%(2,731)
Norwegian0.5%(2,606)
Croatian0.4%(2,361)
Ukrainian0.4%(2,151)
Lithuanian0.4%(2,150)
West Indian0.3%(1,720)
Austrian0.3%(1,462)
Czech0.2%(1,381)
French Canadian0.2%(1,247)
Serbian0.2%(1,073)
Lebanese0.2%(886)
Jamaican0.1%(749)
Danish0.1%(745)
Egyptian0.1%(739)
Slovene0.1%(713)
Moroccan0.1%(685)
Portuguese0.1%(568)
Haitian0.1%(557)
Romanian0.1%(553)
Nigerian0.1%(515)
Somali0.2%(442)
Canadian0.1%(393)
Finnish0.1%(349)
Turkish0.1%(349)
Arab0.1%(341)
Armenian0.1%(303)
Brazilian0.1%(301)
Syrian0.1%(287)
Ethiopian0%(257)
Belgian0%(254)
Israeli0%(240)
Macedonian0%(212)
Australian0%(206)
Bulgarian0%(191)
Ghanaian0%(181)
Latvian0%(141)
Iranian0.1%(140)
Guyanese0%(41)
Kenyan0%(37)
Iraqi0%(34)
Jordanian0%(28)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.5%
+9.2 ptssince 2000
from 24.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.6%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 84.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
12.4%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 8.8% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.0 min
+60%since 2000
from 14.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
78.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 80.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
7.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.9%
−2.2 ptssince 2011
from 6.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
64.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 66.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
40.7%
+5.0 ptssince 2009
from 35.7% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
6.8%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
5.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2013
from 9.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.1%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
85.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married34.8%(84,816)
Married53.2%(129,693)
Widowed3%(7,195)
Divorced9.1%(22,079)
Women 15+
Never married29.2%(73,916)
Married50.8%(128,678)
Widowed8.9%(22,572)
Divorced11.2%(28,283)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2013
from 9.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
64.5%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
13.5%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
19.0%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
16.8%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.0%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
76.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
33.8%
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)19.5%(7,383)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)21.3%(8,048)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34.4%(13,031)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.2%(2,736)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.4%(1,288)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 37,846 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

HarrisburgCENTRAL50,522CarlisleCENTRAL22,693Colonial Park18,032Hershey14,242Progress11,017Mechanicsburg10,037Middletown9,776Camp Hill8,199Lower Allen7,646New Cumberland7,590Linglestown6,957Rutherford6,890Enola6,534Steelton6,328Shippensburg5,615Schlusser5,402Lemoyne4,801Lawnton4,765Skyline View4,704Hummelstown4,492Paxtonia4,074Boiling Springs3,334Penbrook3,243Wormleysburg3,078Highspire2,725Marysville2,717Millersburg2,540Messiah College2,329Shippensburg University2,071Bressler2,060

The 30 most populous of 62 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

3 component counties

Dauphin CountyCENTRAL293,351Cumberland CountyCENTRAL277,270Perry County46,806
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Harrisburg

Fayetteville
Pop 622,177
Durham
Pop 625,485
Modesto
Pop 557,719
Spokane
Pop 608,012
Places similar to Harrisburg
Head to head

Compare Harrisburg side by side

HARRISBURG VS
Fayetteville
Income$82,242+22%
Home value$307,983+61%
Population622,177+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HARRISBURG VS
Durham
Income$84,598+25%
Home value$402,870+111%
Population625,485+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HARRISBURG VS
Modesto
Income$81,468+21%
Home value$450,100+136%
Population557,719−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HARRISBURG VS
Spokane
Income$77,837+15%
Home value$405,862+113%
Population608,012−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA has about 591,712 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

The typical household in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA earns about $67,590 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA expensive?

In Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, the median home is worth about $190,896, and the typical rent is about $965 a month.

How educated are people in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

About 33.5% of adults age 25 and over in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

About 9.5% of people in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA grown since 1990?

Yes, Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 117,470 residents, a change of about 25 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 →