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 2018, at 24.3%. Bucks County had the lowest, at 5.7%. The median was 12.3% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 12.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24.3Philadelphia County
Lowest5.7Bucks County
Median12.367 counties
Pennsylvania12.2History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 24.3 %24.3Forest CountyForest County: 24 %24Centre CountyCentre County: 18.1 %18.1McKean CountyMcKean County: 16.8 %16.8Greene CountyGreene County: 15.9 %15.9Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 15.8 %15.8Indiana CountyIndiana County: 15.5 %15.5Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 15.4 %15.4Clarion CountyClarion County: 15.3 %15.3Erie CountyErie County: 15.3 %15.3Mercer CountyMercer County: 15.3 %15.3Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 15.1 %15.1Tioga CountyTioga County: 15 %15Venango CountyVenango County: 15 %15Potter CountyPotter County: 14.8 %14.8Cambria CountyCambria County: 14.7 %14.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 14.6 %14.6Blair CountyBlair County: 14.4 %14.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14.4 %14.4Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 14.3 %14.3Sullivan CountySullivan County: 14.3 %14.3Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 14.2 %14.2Cameron CountyCameron County: 13.9 %13.9Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County: 13.7 %13.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 13.4 %13.4Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 13.3 %13.3Dauphin CountyDauphin County: 13.2 %13.2Lycoming CountyLycoming County: 13 %13Schuylkill CountySchuylkill County: 13 %13Wayne CountyWayne County: 13 %13Susquehanna CountySusquehanna County: 12.8 %12.8Union CountyUnion County: 12.6 %12.6Bradford CountyBradford County: 12.5 %12.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 12.3 %12.3Columbia CountyColumbia County: 12.3 %12.3Monroe CountyMonroe County: 12.3 %12.3Lehigh CountyLehigh County: 12 %12Somerset CountySomerset County: 12 %12Carbon CountyCarbon County: 11.9 %11.9Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 11.8 %11.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Philadelphia County24.3-1 pts
2Forest County24+2 pts
3Centre County18.1+0.9 pts
4McKean County16.8-0.5 pts
5Greene County15.9+1.2 pts
6Lawrence County15.8+2.5 pts
7Indiana County15.5+0.8 pts
8Clearfield County15.4+0.4 pts
9Clarion County15.3-0.8 pts
9Erie County15.3-0.4 pts
9Mercer County15.3+2.9 pts
12Mifflin County15.1+2.4 pts
13Tioga County15-0.1 pts
13Venango County15+0.8 pts
15Potter County14.8-1.7 pts
16Cambria County14.7-0.3 pts
17Fayette County14.6-3.3 pts
18Blair County14.4-0.1 pts
18Jefferson County14.4+0.2 pts
20Luzerne County14.3+0.5 pts
20Sullivan County14.3+0.4 pts
22Lackawanna County14.2-0.1 pts
23Cameron County13.9-1.2 pts
24Huntingdon County13.7-1.2 pts
25Crawford County13.4-1.2 pts
26Northumberland County13.3-1 pts
27Dauphin County13.2+1.1 pts
28Lycoming County13+0.1 pts
28Schuylkill County13+0.9 pts
28Wayne County13+0.1 pts
31Susquehanna County12.8-0.3 pts
32Union County12.6+0.4 pts
33Bradford County12.5-0.8 pts
34Clinton County12.3-3.9 pts
34Columbia County12.3-1.2 pts
34Monroe County12.3+3 pts
37Lehigh County12-0.4 pts
37Somerset County12-0.6 pts
39Carbon County11.9-0.6 pts
40Wyoming County11.8-0.1 pts
41Allegheny County11.7+0.5 pts
42Fulton County11.5-1.1 pts
43Berks County11.4-0.3 pts
44Beaver County11.2+0.1 pts
44Warren County11.2-2.7 pts
46Franklin County11+1.3 pts
47Snyder County10.7-0.6 pts
48Bedford County10.5-1.8 pts
49Pike County10.3+1.2 pts
50Northampton County10.2+0.2 pts
51Montour County10.1+0.2 pts
52Lebanon County10-0.8 pts
53Perry County9.8+0.3 pts
54Juniata County9.4-2.8 pts
55Armstrong County9.2-3.7 pts
55Elk County9.2-0.7 pts
55Westmoreland County9.2-0.7 pts
58Washington County9-0.4 pts
59Delaware County8.8-1 pts
59York County8.8-0.6 pts
61Butler County8.7+0.3 pts
62Adams County8-0.2 pts
63Lancaster County7.9-2 pts
64Cumberland County7.30 pts
65Chester County6.7+0.4 pts
66Montgomery County5.9+0.1 pts
67Bucks County5.7-0.4 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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 24.3% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Bucks County, with 5.7% in 2018.

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