Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Pennsylvania

Counties in Pennsylvania by poverty rate, 2024

Forest County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2024, at 22.8%. Bucks County had the lowest, at 6.1%. The median was 11.8% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 11.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.8Forest County
Lowest6.1Bucks County
Median11.867 counties
Pennsylvania11.6History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Forest CountyForest County: 22.8 %22.8Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 19.7 %19.7Greene CountyGreene County: 17.7 %17.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 16.8 %16.8Indiana CountyIndiana County: 16 %16Lycoming CountyLycoming County: 15.1 %15.1Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 14.9 %14.9Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 14.9 %14.9Clinton CountyClinton County: 14.8 %14.8Erie CountyErie County: 14.7 %14.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 14.7 %14.7Cambria CountyCambria County: 14.5 %14.5Centre CountyCentre County: 14.3 %14.3Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 14.3 %14.3McKean CountyMcKean County: 14.3 %14.3Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 14.2 %14.2Potter CountyPotter County: 13.9 %13.9Columbia CountyColumbia County: 13.5 %13.5Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 13.4 %13.4Venango CountyVenango County: 13.2 %13.2Mercer CountyMercer County: 13.1 %13.1Dauphin CountyDauphin County: 13 %13Wayne CountyWayne County: 13 %13Berks CountyBerks County: 12.8 %12.8Sullivan CountySullivan County: 12.8 %12.8Cameron CountyCameron County: 12.7 %12.7Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 12.5 %12.5Schuylkill CountySchuylkill County: 12.5 %12.5Armstrong CountyArmstrong County: 12.4 %12.4Somerset CountySomerset County: 12.4 %12.4Susquehanna CountySusquehanna County: 12.1 %12.1Blair CountyBlair County: 12 %12Snyder CountySnyder County: 12 %12Clarion CountyClarion County: 11.8 %11.8Allegheny CountyAllegheny County: 11.7 %11.7Bedford CountyBedford County: 11.7 %11.7Bradford CountyBradford County: 11.6 %11.6Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 11.6 %11.6Tioga CountyTioga County: 11.4 %11.4Carbon CountyCarbon County: 11.3 %11.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Forest County22.8-2 pts
2Philadelphia County19.7-0.6 pts
3Greene County17.7+2.2 pts
4Crawford County16.8+4.2 pts
5Indiana County16-0.5 pts
6Lycoming County15.1+2.3 pts
7Clearfield County14.9-0.5 pts
7Lackawanna County14.9-1.2 pts
9Clinton County14.8-0.7 pts
10Erie County14.7+0.2 pts
10Fayette County14.7-4.2 pts
12Cambria County14.5+1.3 pts
13Centre County14.3-2.8 pts
13Lawrence County14.3+0.7 pts
13McKean County14.3-1.6 pts
16Northumberland County14.2+1.9 pts
17Potter County13.9+1.2 pts
18Columbia County13.5+0.9 pts
19Luzerne County13.4-3 pts
20Venango County13.2-0.6 pts
21Mercer County13.1+0.5 pts
22Dauphin County13+0.1 pts
22Wayne County13+0.2 pts
24Berks County12.8+0.9 pts
24Sullivan County12.8-1 pts
26Cameron County12.7-2.6 pts
27Mifflin County12.5-2.7 pts
27Schuylkill County12.5-1.7 pts
29Armstrong County12.4+0.5 pts
29Somerset County12.4+0.4 pts
31Susquehanna County12.1+0.1 pts
32Blair County12-2.4 pts
32Snyder County12+1.1 pts
34Clarion County11.8-2.4 pts
35Allegheny County11.7+0.1 pts
35Bedford County11.7+0.5 pts
37Bradford County11.6-2.3 pts
37Jefferson County11.6-7.2 pts
39Tioga County11.4-1.6 pts
40Carbon County11.3-0.7 pts
41Beaver County11.2+0.8 pts
42Lehigh County11.1-1 pts
43Monroe County10.8+1.2 pts
43Union County10.8-0.5 pts
45Delaware County10.7-0.1 pts
45Fulton County10.7-2 pts
45Huntingdon County10.7-2.3 pts
48Westmoreland County10.5-0.3 pts
49Washington County10.3+0.8 pts
50Warren County10.1-1.3 pts
51Elk County100 pts
52Pike County9.9-0.1 pts
53Montour County9.80 pts
54Juniata County9.7-1.1 pts
54Wyoming County9.7-3.8 pts
56Lebanon County9.5+0.8 pts
57Franklin County9.3+1.1 pts
58York County9.2+0.7 pts
59Northampton County8.8-1 pts
60Perry County8.6-1.5 pts
61Cumberland County8.1-0.1 pts
62Butler County7.9-1.4 pts
63Adams County7.7-1.6 pts
63Lancaster County7.7-0.9 pts
65Chester County6.4+0.2 pts
66Montgomery County6.2-0.7 pts
67Bucks County6.1-0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

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

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Pennsylvania by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Forest County, with 22.8% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Bucks County, with 6.1% in 2024.

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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Pennsylvania: more rankings