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 2017, at 25.3%. Montgomery County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 12.6% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 12.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.3Philadelphia County
Lowest5.8Montgomery County
Median12.667 counties
Pennsylvania12.5History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 25.3 %25.3Forest CountyForest County: 22 %22Fayette CountyFayette County: 17.9 %17.9McKean CountyMcKean County: 17.3 %17.3Centre CountyCentre County: 17.2 %17.2Potter CountyPotter County: 16.5 %16.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 16.2 %16.2Clarion CountyClarion County: 16.1 %16.1Erie CountyErie County: 15.7 %15.7Cameron CountyCameron County: 15.1 %15.1Tioga CountyTioga County: 15.1 %15.1Cambria CountyCambria County: 15 %15Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 15 %15Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County: 14.9 %14.9Greene CountyGreene County: 14.7 %14.7Indiana CountyIndiana County: 14.7 %14.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14.6 %14.6Blair CountyBlair County: 14.5 %14.5Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 14.3 %14.3Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 14.3 %14.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14.2 %14.2Venango CountyVenango County: 14.2 %14.2Sullivan CountySullivan County: 13.9 %13.9Warren CountyWarren County: 13.9 %13.9Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 13.8 %13.8Columbia CountyColumbia County: 13.5 %13.5Bradford CountyBradford County: 13.3 %13.3Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 13.3 %13.3Susquehanna CountySusquehanna County: 13.1 %13.1Armstrong CountyArmstrong County: 12.9 %12.9Lycoming CountyLycoming County: 12.9 %12.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 12.9 %12.9Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 12.7 %12.7Fulton CountyFulton County: 12.6 %12.6Somerset CountySomerset County: 12.6 %12.6Carbon CountyCarbon County: 12.5 %12.5Lehigh CountyLehigh County: 12.4 %12.4Mercer CountyMercer County: 12.4 %12.4Bedford CountyBedford County: 12.3 %12.3Juniata CountyJuniata County: 12.2 %12.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Philadelphia County25.30 pts
2Forest County22-2.6 pts
3Fayette County17.9+0.4 pts
4McKean County17.3-0.1 pts
5Centre County17.2+0.2 pts
6Potter County16.5+2.5 pts
7Clinton County16.2-1.6 pts
8Clarion County16.1+0.9 pts
9Erie County15.70 pts
10Cameron County15.1+0.9 pts
10Tioga County15.1+1.8 pts
12Cambria County15-0.6 pts
12Clearfield County15+0.9 pts
14Huntingdon County14.9+1.3 pts
15Greene County14.7-1 pts
15Indiana County14.7-5.3 pts
17Crawford County14.6+0.2 pts
18Blair County14.5+0.9 pts
19Lackawanna County14.3+0.2 pts
19Northumberland County14.3-0.3 pts
21Jefferson County14.2+0.9 pts
21Venango County14.2-0.4 pts
23Sullivan County13.9+1.1 pts
23Warren County13.9-1.4 pts
25Luzerne County13.8-0.8 pts
26Columbia County13.50 pts
27Bradford County13.3+1.8 pts
27Lawrence County13.3-0.4 pts
29Susquehanna County13.1+0.4 pts
30Armstrong County12.9-0.9 pts
30Lycoming County12.9-1.7 pts
30Wayne County12.9-0.8 pts
33Mifflin County12.7-2 pts
34Fulton County12.6+2 pts
34Somerset County12.6-1.5 pts
36Carbon County12.5-0.6 pts
37Lehigh County12.4-1.4 pts
37Mercer County12.4-3.7 pts
39Bedford County12.3-1.4 pts
40Juniata County12.2+2 pts
40Union County12.2+0.4 pts
42Dauphin County12.1+0.8 pts
42Schuylkill County12.1-0.7 pts
44Wyoming County11.9+0.6 pts
45Berks County11.7-1.4 pts
46Snyder County11.3-1.4 pts
47Allegheny County11.2-0.3 pts
48Beaver County11.1+1.4 pts
49Lebanon County10.8+0.9 pts
50Northampton County10+0.7 pts
51Elk County9.9-0.2 pts
51Lancaster County9.9-0.8 pts
51Montour County9.9-1.3 pts
51Westmoreland County9.9+0.1 pts
55Delaware County9.8-1 pts
56Franklin County9.7+0.6 pts
57Perry County9.5+0.4 pts
58Washington County9.4-0.3 pts
58York County9.4-0.4 pts
60Monroe County9.3-2.7 pts
61Pike County9.1-0.7 pts
62Butler County8.4+1.1 pts
63Adams County8.2-1.2 pts
64Cumberland County7.3-0.6 pts
65Chester County6.3-0.7 pts
66Bucks County6.1-0.5 pts
67Montgomery County5.8-0.4 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.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 25.3% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Montgomery County, with 5.8% 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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Pennsylvania: more rankings