Counties in Pennsylvania by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Forest County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 67 counties in 2017, at 34.4%. Chester County had the lowest, at 6.5%. The median was 18.3% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 16.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest34.4Forest County
Median18.367 counties
Pennsylvania16.9History

Map of counties, 2017

Adams County: 11.4 %Allegheny County: 15.1 %Armstrong County: 18 %Beaver County: 15.1 %Bedford County: 17.5 %Berks County: 17 %Blair County: 18.8 %Bradford County: 20.2 %Bucks County: 7.5 %Butler County: 9.5 %Cambria County: 23.4 %Cameron County: 23.4 %Carbon County: 18.3 %Centre County: 11.5 %Chester County: 6.5 %Clarion County: 20.3 %Clearfield County: 21.6 %Clinton County: 20.2 %Columbia County: 16.1 %Crawford County: 21.8 %Cumberland County: 9.6 %Dauphin County: 18.6 %Delaware County: 13.1 %Elk County: 13.5 %Erie County: 24.1 %Fayette County: 28 %Forest County: 34.4 %Franklin County: 13.9 %Fulton County: 18.1 %Greene County: 21.7 %Huntingdon County: 21.3 %Indiana County: 20.4 %Jefferson County: 20.5 %Juniata County: 18.7 %Lackawanna County: 20.4 %Lancaster County: 13.7 %Lawrence County: 19.8 %Lebanon County: 15 %Lehigh County: 18.2 %Luzerne County: 24.7 %Lycoming County: 18.1 %McKean County: 24.9 %Mercer County: 18.9 %Mifflin County: 21.5 %Monroe County: 14.9 %Montgomery County: 6.8 %Montour County: 15.2 %Northampton County: 14.2 %Northumberland County: 19.6 %Perry County: 14.7 %Philadelphia County: 31.9 %Pike County: 14.3 %Potter County: 27.8 %Schuylkill County: 18.4 %Snyder County: 16.2 %Somerset County: 20.1 %Sullivan County: 19.4 %Susquehanna County: 21.7 %Tioga County: 19 %Union County: 13.6 %Venango County: 22.6 %Warren County: 24.5 %Washington County: 12.2 %Wayne County: 17.4 %Westmoreland County: 12.6 %Wyoming County: 17.8 %York County: 13.2 %
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 15
  • 15 to 18
  • 18 to 20
  • 20 to 22
  • 22 and over
%, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2017

Forest County: 34.4 %Forest County34.4Philadelphia County: 31.9 %Philadelphia County31.9Fayette County: 28 %Fayette County28Potter County: 27.8 %Potter County27.8McKean County: 24.9 %McKean County24.9Luzerne County: 24.7 %Luzerne County24.7Warren County: 24.5 %Warren County24.5Erie County: 24.1 %Erie County24.1Cambria County: 23.4 %Cambria County23.4Cameron County: 23.4 %Cameron County23.4Venango County: 22.6 %Venango County22.6Crawford County: 21.8 %Crawford County21.8Greene County: 21.7 %Greene County21.7Susquehanna County: 21.7 %Susquehanna County21.7Clearfield County: 21.6 %Clearfield County21.6Mifflin County: 21.5 %Mifflin County21.5Huntingdon County: 21.3 %Huntingdon County21.3Jefferson County: 20.5 %Jefferson County20.5Indiana County: 20.4 %Indiana County20.4Lackawanna County: 20.4 %Lackawanna County20.4Clarion County: 20.3 %Clarion County20.3Bradford County: 20.2 %Bradford County20.2Clinton County: 20.2 %Clinton County20.2Somerset County: 20.1 %Somerset County20.1Lawrence County: 19.8 %Lawrence County19.8Northumberland County: 19.6 %Northumberland County19.6Sullivan County: 19.4 %Sullivan County19.4Tioga County: 19 %Tioga County19Mercer County: 18.9 %Mercer County18.9Blair County: 18.8 %Blair County18.8Juniata County: 18.7 %Juniata County18.7Dauphin County: 18.6 %Dauphin County18.6Schuylkill County: 18.4 %Schuylkill County18.4Carbon County: 18.3 %Carbon County18.3Lehigh County: 18.2 %Lehigh County18.2Fulton County: 18.1 %Fulton County18.1Lycoming County: 18.1 %Lycoming County18.1Armstrong County: 18 %Armstrong County18Wyoming County: 17.8 %Wyoming County17.8Bedford County: 17.5 %Bedford County17.5Forest County: 34.4 %Forest County34.4Philadelphia County: 31.9 %Philadelphia County31.9Fayette County: 28 %Fayette County28Potter County: 27.8 %Potter County27.8McKean County: 24.9 %McKean County24.9Luzerne County: 24.7 %Luzerne County24.7Warren County: 24.5 %Warren County24.5Erie County: 24.1 %Erie County24.1Cambria County: 23.4 %Cambria County23.4Cameron County: 23.4 %Cameron County23.4Venango County: 22.6 %Venango County22.6Crawford County: 21.8 %Crawford County21.8Greene County: 21.7 %Greene County21.7Susquehanna County: 21.7 %Susquehanna County21.7Clearfield County: 21.6 %Clearfield County21.6Mifflin County: 21.5 %Mifflin County21.5Huntingdon County: 21.3 %Huntingdon County21.3Jefferson County: 20.5 %Jefferson County20.5Indiana County: 20.4 %Indiana County20.4Lackawanna County: 20.4 %Lackawanna County20.4Clarion County: 20.3 %Clarion County20.3Bradford County: 20.2 %Bradford County20.2Clinton County: 20.2 %Clinton County20.2Somerset County: 20.1 %Somerset County20.1Lawrence County: 19.8 %Lawrence County19.8Northumberland County: 19.6 %Northumberland County19.6Sullivan County: 19.4 %Sullivan County19.4Tioga County: 19 %Tioga County19Mercer County: 18.9 %Mercer County18.9Blair County: 18.8 %Blair County18.8Juniata County: 18.7 %Juniata County18.7Dauphin County: 18.6 %Dauphin County18.6Schuylkill County: 18.4 %Schuylkill County18.4Carbon County: 18.3 %Carbon County18.3Lehigh County: 18.2 %Lehigh County18.2Fulton County: 18.1 %Fulton County18.1Lycoming County: 18.1 %Lycoming County18.1Armstrong County: 18 %Armstrong County18Wyoming County: 17.8 %Wyoming County17.8Bedford County: 17.5 %Bedford County17.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Forest County34.4-22.7 pts
2Philadelphia County31.9-5.3 pts
3Fayette County28-0.6 pts
4Potter County27.8+3.7 pts
5McKean County24.9-1.9 pts
6Luzerne County24.7+1.3 pts
7Warren County24.5-1.6 pts
8Erie County24.1+0.1 pts
9Cambria County23.4+0.3 pts
9Cameron County23.4-0.9 pts
11Venango County22.6+0.9 pts
12Crawford County21.80 pts
13Greene County21.7+0.5 pts
13Susquehanna County21.7+1.9 pts
15Clearfield County21.6-0.4 pts
16Mifflin County21.5-1.5 pts
17Huntingdon County21.3+2.7 pts
18Jefferson County20.5+1.5 pts
19Indiana County20.4-4.5 pts
19Lackawanna County20.4+1.6 pts
21Clarion County20.3+0.2 pts
22Bradford County20.2+2.2 pts
22Clinton County20.2-2.4 pts
24Somerset County20.1-2.5 pts
25Lawrence County19.8-0.8 pts
26Northumberland County19.6-1.9 pts
27Sullivan County19.4-2.8 pts
28Tioga County19+0.5 pts
29Mercer County18.9-7.1 pts
30Blair County18.8-1.9 pts
31Juniata County18.7+2 pts
32Dauphin County18.6+0.2 pts
33Schuylkill County18.4+0.8 pts
34Carbon County18.3-2.4 pts
35Lehigh County18.2-2.2 pts
36Fulton County18.1+1 pts
36Lycoming County18.1-3 pts
38Armstrong County18-1.5 pts
39Wyoming County17.8+0.7 pts
40Bedford County17.5+0.2 pts
41Wayne County17.4-1.3 pts
42Berks County17-2.9 pts
43Snyder County16.2-3.6 pts
44Columbia County16.1-0.9 pts
45Montour County15.2-3.8 pts
46Allegheny County15.1-0.1 pts
46Beaver County15.1-0.4 pts
48Lebanon County150 pts
49Monroe County14.9-2.7 pts
50Perry County14.7+0.6 pts
51Pike County14.3-1.4 pts
52Northampton County14.2+0.1 pts
53Franklin County13.9-0.2 pts
54Lancaster County13.7-2.1 pts
55Union County13.6+0.1 pts
56Elk County13.5-0.5 pts
57York County13.2-0.4 pts
58Delaware County13.1-2.3 pts
59Westmoreland County12.6-1.5 pts
60Washington County12.2+0.7 pts
61Centre County11.5-0.2 pts
62Adams County11.4-2.6 pts
63Cumberland County9.6-0.9 pts
64Butler County9.5+0.6 pts
65Bucks County7.5-0.5 pts
66Montgomery County6.8-1 pts
67Chester County6.5-1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in Pennsylvania by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Pennsylvania by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/pennsylvania-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in Pennsylvania by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/pennsylvania-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Pennsylvania by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/pennsylvania-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_pennsylvania_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Pennsylvania by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/pennsylvania-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Pennsylvania by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/pennsylvania-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/pennsylvania-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Forest County, with 34.4% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Chester County, with 6.5% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Pennsylvania: more rankings