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

Counties in Pennsylvania by poverty rate

Forest County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2019, at 26%. Bucks County had the lowest, at 5.7%. The median was 12.2% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 12%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26Forest County
Lowest5.7Bucks County
Median12.267 counties
Pennsylvania12History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Forest CountyForest County: 26 %26Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 23 %23Fayette CountyFayette County: 17.5 %17.5Erie CountyErie County: 16.6 %16.6Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 16.4 %16.4Centre CountyCentre County: 15.9 %15.9Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 15.2 %15.2Blair CountyBlair County: 14.9 %14.9Cambria CountyCambria County: 14.9 %14.9Columbia CountyColumbia County: 14.7 %14.7McKean CountyMcKean County: 14.6 %14.6Bradford CountyBradford County: 14.3 %14.3Greene CountyGreene County: 14.2 %14.2Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 14.2 %14.2Clarion CountyClarion County: 14.1 %14.1Cameron CountyCameron County: 14 %14Indiana CountyIndiana County: 14 %14Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 13.7 %13.7Lycoming CountyLycoming County: 13.6 %13.6Warren CountyWarren County: 13.5 %13.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.4 %13.4Tioga CountyTioga County: 13.4 %13.4Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 13.3 %13.3Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 13.3 %13.3Mercer CountyMercer County: 13.1 %13.1Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County: 13 %13Sullivan CountySullivan County: 12.9 %12.9Crawford CountyCrawford County: 12.6 %12.6Somerset CountySomerset County: 12.5 %12.5Venango CountyVenango County: 12.5 %12.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 12.4 %12.4Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 12.3 %12.3Fulton CountyFulton County: 12.2 %12.2Monroe CountyMonroe County: 12.2 %12.2Union CountyUnion County: 12 %12Beaver CountyBeaver County: 11.7 %11.7Potter CountyPotter County: 11.7 %11.7Schuylkill CountySchuylkill County: 11.7 %11.7Lehigh CountyLehigh County: 11.5 %11.5Dauphin CountyDauphin County: 11.3 %11.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Forest County26+2 pts
2Philadelphia County23-1.3 pts
3Fayette County17.5+2.9 pts
4Erie County16.6+1.3 pts
5Jefferson County16.4+2 pts
6Centre County15.9-2.2 pts
7Luzerne County15.2+0.9 pts
8Blair County14.9+0.5 pts
8Cambria County14.9+0.2 pts
10Columbia County14.7+2.4 pts
11McKean County14.6-2.2 pts
12Bradford County14.3+1.8 pts
13Greene County14.2-1.7 pts
13Lackawanna County14.20 pts
15Clarion County14.1-1.2 pts
16Cameron County14+0.1 pts
16Indiana County14-1.5 pts
18Clearfield County13.7-1.7 pts
19Lycoming County13.6+0.6 pts
20Warren County13.5+2.3 pts
21Clinton County13.4+1.1 pts
21Tioga County13.4-1.6 pts
23Mifflin County13.3-1.8 pts
23Northumberland County13.30 pts
25Mercer County13.1-2.2 pts
26Huntingdon County13-0.7 pts
27Sullivan County12.9-1.4 pts
28Crawford County12.6-0.8 pts
29Somerset County12.5+0.5 pts
29Venango County12.5-2.5 pts
31Wayne County12.4-0.6 pts
32Lawrence County12.3-3.5 pts
33Fulton County12.2+0.7 pts
33Monroe County12.2-0.1 pts
35Union County12-0.6 pts
36Beaver County11.7+0.5 pts
36Potter County11.7-3.1 pts
36Schuylkill County11.7-1.3 pts
39Lehigh County11.5-0.5 pts
40Dauphin County11.3-1.9 pts
40Susquehanna County11.3-1.5 pts
42Armstrong County11.1+1.9 pts
43Allegheny County10.8-0.9 pts
44Lancaster County10.5+2.6 pts
44Westmoreland County10.5+1.3 pts
46Bedford County10.4-0.1 pts
46Juniata County10.4+1 pts
46Lebanon County10.4+0.4 pts
49Snyder County10.3-0.4 pts
50Berks County10.2-1.2 pts
51Delaware County9.9+1.1 pts
51Washington County9.9+0.9 pts
51Wyoming County9.9-1.9 pts
54Carbon County9.8-2.1 pts
54Elk County9.8+0.6 pts
56Pike County9.2-1.1 pts
56York County9.2+0.4 pts
58Montour County9.1-1 pts
59Perry County8.9-0.9 pts
60Franklin County8.1-2.9 pts
61Northampton County7.9-2.3 pts
62Butler County7.8-0.9 pts
63Adams County7.6-0.4 pts
64Cumberland County7.2-0.1 pts
65Montgomery County6+0.1 pts
66Chester County5.9-0.8 pts
67Bucks County5.70 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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 26% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Bucks County, with 5.7% in 2019.

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