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

Counties in Pennsylvania by poverty rate

Philadelphia County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2015, at 25.4%. Chester County had the lowest, at 6%. The median was 13.1% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 13.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.4Philadelphia County
Lowest6Chester County
Median13.167 counties
Pennsylvania13.1History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 25.4 %25.4Forest CountyForest County: 24.3 %24.3Fayette CountyFayette County: 20.1 %20.1Indiana CountyIndiana County: 18.2 %18.2Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 17.5 %17.5Clarion CountyClarion County: 17.4 %17.4Erie CountyErie County: 17.1 %17.1McKean CountyMcKean County: 16.9 %16.9Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 16.6 %16.6Centre CountyCentre County: 16.1 %16.1Clinton CountyClinton County: 16 %16Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 15.4 %15.4Blair CountyBlair County: 15.3 %15.3Crawford CountyCrawford County: 15.3 %15.3Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 15.3 %15.3Greene CountyGreene County: 15.1 %15.1Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 15.1 %15.1Columbia CountyColumbia County: 15 %15Cambria CountyCambria County: 14.9 %14.9Lycoming CountyLycoming County: 14.8 %14.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14.6 %14.6Somerset CountySomerset County: 14.4 %14.4Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County: 14.3 %14.3Potter CountyPotter County: 14.3 %14.3Mercer CountyMercer County: 14.2 %14.2Bedford CountyBedford County: 13.9 %13.9Dauphin CountyDauphin County: 13.6 %13.6Sullivan CountySullivan County: 13.5 %13.5Venango CountyVenango County: 13.5 %13.5Cameron CountyCameron County: 13.3 %13.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 13.3 %13.3Beaver CountyBeaver County: 13.1 %13.1Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 13.1 %13.1Tioga CountyTioga County: 13.1 %13.1Bradford CountyBradford County: 13 %13Schuylkill CountySchuylkill County: 13 %13Juniata CountyJuniata County: 12.8 %12.8Monroe CountyMonroe County: 12.7 %12.7Armstrong CountyArmstrong County: 12.6 %12.6Berks CountyBerks County: 12.6 %12.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Philadelphia County25.4
2Forest County24.3
3Fayette County20.1
4Indiana County18.2
5Lawrence County17.5
6Clarion County17.4
7Erie County17.1
8McKean County16.9
9Clearfield County16.6
10Centre County16.1
11Clinton County16
12Mifflin County15.4
13Blair County15.3
13Crawford County15.3
13Lackawanna County15.3
16Greene County15.1
16Luzerne County15.1
18Columbia County15
19Cambria County14.9
20Lycoming County14.8
21Jefferson County14.6
22Somerset County14.4
23Huntingdon County14.3
23Potter County14.3
25Mercer County14.2
26Bedford County13.9
27Dauphin County13.6
28Sullivan County13.5
28Venango County13.5
30Cameron County13.3
30Wayne County13.3
32Beaver County13.1
32Northumberland County13.1
32Tioga County13.1
35Bradford County13
35Schuylkill County13
37Juniata County12.8
38Monroe County12.7
39Armstrong County12.6
39Berks County12.6
39Susquehanna County12.6
42Union County12.4
43Allegheny County12.2
43Warren County12.2
45Lehigh County12.1
46Snyder County11.7
47Fulton County11.6
47Lebanon County11.6
49Carbon County11.5
50Westmoreland County11.3
51Wyoming County11.1
52Pike County10.9
53Lancaster County10.6
54Delaware County10.4
54York County10.4
56Washington County10.1
57Perry County9.6
58Butler County9.5
59Franklin County9.4
60Elk County9.3
61Montour County9
62Northampton County8.8
63Adams County8.5
64Cumberland County7.3
65Montgomery County6.6
66Bucks County6.3
67Chester County6

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.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?

Philadelphia County, with 25.4% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Chester County, with 6% in 2015.

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