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 2016, at 25.3%. Montgomery County had the lowest, at 6.2%. The median was 13.3% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 12.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.3Philadelphia County
Lowest6.2Montgomery County
Median13.367 counties
Pennsylvania12.9History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 25.3 %25.3Forest CountyForest County: 24.6 %24.6Indiana CountyIndiana County: 20 %20Clinton CountyClinton County: 17.8 %17.8Fayette CountyFayette County: 17.5 %17.5McKean CountyMcKean County: 17.4 %17.4Centre CountyCentre County: 17 %17Mercer CountyMercer County: 16.1 %16.1Erie CountyErie County: 15.7 %15.7Greene CountyGreene County: 15.7 %15.7Cambria CountyCambria County: 15.6 %15.6Warren CountyWarren County: 15.3 %15.3Clarion CountyClarion County: 15.2 %15.2Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 14.7 %14.7Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 14.6 %14.6Lycoming CountyLycoming County: 14.6 %14.6Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 14.6 %14.6Venango CountyVenango County: 14.6 %14.6Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14.4 %14.4Cameron CountyCameron County: 14.2 %14.2Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 14.1 %14.1Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 14.1 %14.1Somerset CountySomerset County: 14.1 %14.1Potter CountyPotter County: 14 %14Armstrong CountyArmstrong County: 13.8 %13.8Lehigh CountyLehigh County: 13.8 %13.8Bedford CountyBedford County: 13.7 %13.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 13.7 %13.7Wayne CountyWayne County: 13.7 %13.7Blair CountyBlair County: 13.6 %13.6Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County: 13.6 %13.6Columbia CountyColumbia County: 13.5 %13.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 13.3 %13.3Tioga CountyTioga County: 13.3 %13.3Berks CountyBerks County: 13.1 %13.1Carbon CountyCarbon County: 13.1 %13.1Schuylkill CountySchuylkill County: 12.8 %12.8Sullivan CountySullivan County: 12.8 %12.8Snyder CountySnyder County: 12.7 %12.7Susquehanna CountySusquehanna County: 12.7 %12.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Philadelphia County25.3-0.1 pts
2Forest County24.6+0.3 pts
3Indiana County20+1.8 pts
4Clinton County17.8+1.8 pts
5Fayette County17.5-2.6 pts
6McKean County17.4+0.5 pts
7Centre County17+0.9 pts
8Mercer County16.1+1.9 pts
9Erie County15.7-1.4 pts
9Greene County15.7+0.6 pts
11Cambria County15.6+0.7 pts
12Warren County15.3+3.1 pts
13Clarion County15.2-2.2 pts
14Mifflin County14.7-0.7 pts
15Luzerne County14.6-0.5 pts
15Lycoming County14.6-0.2 pts
15Northumberland County14.6+1.5 pts
15Venango County14.6+1.1 pts
19Crawford County14.4-0.9 pts
20Cameron County14.2+0.9 pts
21Clearfield County14.1-2.5 pts
21Lackawanna County14.1-1.2 pts
21Somerset County14.1-0.3 pts
24Potter County14-0.3 pts
25Armstrong County13.8+1.2 pts
25Lehigh County13.8+1.7 pts
27Bedford County13.7-0.2 pts
27Lawrence County13.7-3.8 pts
27Wayne County13.7+0.4 pts
30Blair County13.6-1.7 pts
30Huntingdon County13.6-0.7 pts
32Columbia County13.5-1.5 pts
33Jefferson County13.3-1.3 pts
33Tioga County13.3+0.2 pts
35Berks County13.1+0.5 pts
35Carbon County13.1+1.6 pts
37Schuylkill County12.8-0.2 pts
37Sullivan County12.8-0.7 pts
39Snyder County12.7+1 pts
39Susquehanna County12.7+0.1 pts
41Monroe County12-0.7 pts
42Union County11.8-0.6 pts
43Allegheny County11.5-0.7 pts
43Bradford County11.5-1.5 pts
45Dauphin County11.3-2.3 pts
45Wyoming County11.3+0.2 pts
47Montour County11.2+2.2 pts
48Delaware County10.8+0.4 pts
49Lancaster County10.7+0.1 pts
50Fulton County10.6-1 pts
51Juniata County10.2-2.6 pts
52Elk County10.1+0.8 pts
53Lebanon County9.9-1.7 pts
54Pike County9.8-1.1 pts
54Westmoreland County9.8-1.5 pts
54York County9.8-0.6 pts
57Beaver County9.7-3.4 pts
57Washington County9.7-0.4 pts
59Adams County9.4+0.9 pts
60Northampton County9.3+0.5 pts
61Franklin County9.1-0.3 pts
61Perry County9.1-0.5 pts
63Cumberland County7.9+0.6 pts
64Butler County7.3-2.2 pts
65Chester County7+1 pts
66Bucks County6.6+0.3 pts
67Montgomery County6.2-0.4 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

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Rank Counties in Pennsylvania by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate","level":"province","within":"Pennsylvania","limit":10}
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Philadelphia County, with 25.3% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Montgomery County, with 6.2% in 2016.

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