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 2020, at 22.9%. Chester County had the lowest, at 5.2%. The median was 11.3% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 10.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.9Forest County
Lowest5.2Chester County
Median11.367 counties
Pennsylvania10.9History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Forest CountyForest County: 22.9 %22.9Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 19.4 %19.4Fayette CountyFayette County: 18.7 %18.7Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 15.1 %15.1Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 14.3 %14.3Venango CountyVenango County: 14 %14McKean CountyMcKean County: 13.9 %13.9Cameron CountyCameron County: 13.5 %13.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.4 %13.4Erie CountyErie County: 13.4 %13.4Indiana CountyIndiana County: 13.4 %13.4Lycoming CountyLycoming County: 13.2 %13.2Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 13.2 %13.2Centre CountyCentre County: 12.9 %12.9Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 12.9 %12.9Clarion CountyClarion County: 12.8 %12.8Crawford CountyCrawford County: 12.7 %12.7Greene CountyGreene County: 12.7 %12.7Schuylkill CountySchuylkill County: 12.7 %12.7Cambria CountyCambria County: 12.5 %12.5Mercer CountyMercer County: 12.4 %12.4Sullivan CountySullivan County: 12.3 %12.3Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 12.2 %12.2Potter CountyPotter County: 12.2 %12.2Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 12.1 %12.1Armstrong CountyArmstrong County: 11.7 %11.7Columbia CountyColumbia County: 11.7 %11.7Lehigh CountyLehigh County: 11.7 %11.7Somerset CountySomerset County: 11.7 %11.7Blair CountyBlair County: 11.6 %11.6Dauphin CountyDauphin County: 11.6 %11.6Susquehanna CountySusquehanna County: 11.6 %11.6Tioga CountyTioga County: 11.5 %11.5Carbon CountyCarbon County: 11.3 %11.3Union CountyUnion County: 11.1 %11.1Warren CountyWarren County: 11.1 %11.1Bedford CountyBedford County: 11 %11Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 11 %11Berks CountyBerks County: 10.9 %10.9Bradford CountyBradford County: 10.7 %10.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Forest County22.9-3.1 pts
2Philadelphia County19.4-3.6 pts
3Fayette County18.7+1.2 pts
4Luzerne County15.1-0.1 pts
5Clearfield County14.3+0.6 pts
6Venango County14+1.5 pts
7McKean County13.9-0.7 pts
8Cameron County13.5-0.5 pts
9Clinton County13.40 pts
9Erie County13.4-3.2 pts
9Indiana County13.4-0.6 pts
12Lycoming County13.2-0.4 pts
12Mifflin County13.2-0.1 pts
14Centre County12.9-3 pts
14Lawrence County12.9+0.6 pts
16Clarion County12.8-1.3 pts
17Crawford County12.7+0.1 pts
17Greene County12.7-1.5 pts
17Schuylkill County12.7+1 pts
20Cambria County12.5-2.4 pts
21Mercer County12.4-0.7 pts
22Sullivan County12.3-0.6 pts
23Lackawanna County12.2-2 pts
23Potter County12.2+0.5 pts
25Northumberland County12.1-1.2 pts
26Armstrong County11.7+0.6 pts
26Columbia County11.7-3 pts
26Lehigh County11.7+0.2 pts
26Somerset County11.7-0.8 pts
30Blair County11.6-3.3 pts
30Dauphin County11.6+0.3 pts
30Susquehanna County11.6+0.3 pts
33Tioga County11.5-1.9 pts
34Carbon County11.3+1.5 pts
35Union County11.1-0.9 pts
35Warren County11.1-2.4 pts
37Bedford County11+0.6 pts
37Jefferson County11-5.4 pts
39Berks County10.9+0.7 pts
40Bradford County10.7-3.6 pts
40Huntingdon County10.7-2.3 pts
42Fulton County10.6-1.6 pts
43Allegheny County10.5-0.3 pts
43Monroe County10.5-1.7 pts
43Wayne County10.5-1.9 pts
46Wyoming County10.4+0.5 pts
47Snyder County10.1-0.2 pts
48Juniata County10-0.4 pts
49Franklin County9.4+1.3 pts
50Delaware County9.3-0.6 pts
50Pike County9.3+0.1 pts
50Westmoreland County9.3-1.2 pts
53Beaver County9.1-2.6 pts
54Lebanon County9-1.4 pts
54Montour County9-0.1 pts
56Washington County8.6-1.3 pts
57Perry County8.5-0.4 pts
58Elk County8.3-1.5 pts
59Adams County8+0.4 pts
60Lancaster County7.7-2.8 pts
61Cumberland County7.6+0.4 pts
61Northampton County7.6-0.3 pts
63Butler County7.4-0.4 pts
64York County7.1-2.1 pts
65Bucks County6+0.3 pts
66Montgomery County5.6-0.4 pts
67Chester County5.2-0.7 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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 22.9% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Chester County, with 5.2% in 2020.

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