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 2021, at 22.3%. Bucks County had the lowest, at 6.5%. The median was 12% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 12%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.3Philadelphia County
Lowest6.5Bucks County
Median1267 counties
Pennsylvania12History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 22.3 %22.3Forest CountyForest County: 19.6 %19.6Columbia CountyColumbia County: 16.2 %16.2Potter CountyPotter County: 16.1 %16.1Fayette CountyFayette County: 15.9 %15.9Erie CountyErie County: 15.8 %15.8Centre CountyCentre County: 15.2 %15.2Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 15.1 %15.1Crawford CountyCrawford County: 15 %15Greene CountyGreene County: 14.8 %14.8Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 14.2 %14.2Carbon CountyCarbon County: 14 %14Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County: 13.9 %13.9Bradford CountyBradford County: 13.7 %13.7Indiana CountyIndiana County: 13.7 %13.7Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 13.7 %13.7Cameron CountyCameron County: 13.4 %13.4McKean CountyMcKean County: 13.4 %13.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 13.3 %13.3Tioga CountyTioga County: 13.3 %13.3Clinton CountyClinton County: 13.2 %13.2Venango CountyVenango County: 13.1 %13.1Berks CountyBerks County: 12.9 %12.9Cambria CountyCambria County: 12.9 %12.9Mercer CountyMercer County: 12.9 %12.9Somerset CountySomerset County: 12.9 %12.9Sullivan CountySullivan County: 12.9 %12.9Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 12.8 %12.8Schuylkill CountySchuylkill County: 12.8 %12.8Wayne CountyWayne County: 12.6 %12.6Warren CountyWarren County: 12.3 %12.3Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 12.2 %12.2Union CountyUnion County: 12.1 %12.1Susquehanna CountySusquehanna County: 12 %12Blair CountyBlair County: 11.9 %11.9Armstrong CountyArmstrong County: 11.8 %11.8Clarion CountyClarion County: 11.8 %11.8Dauphin CountyDauphin County: 11.8 %11.8Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 11.8 %11.8Bedford CountyBedford County: 11.6 %11.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Philadelphia County22.3+2.9 pts
2Forest County19.6-3.3 pts
3Columbia County16.2+4.5 pts
4Potter County16.1+3.9 pts
5Fayette County15.9-2.8 pts
6Erie County15.8+2.4 pts
7Centre County15.2+2.3 pts
8Mifflin County15.1+1.9 pts
9Crawford County15+2.3 pts
10Greene County14.8+2.1 pts
11Clearfield County14.2-0.1 pts
12Carbon County14+2.7 pts
13Huntingdon County13.9+3.2 pts
14Bradford County13.7+3 pts
14Indiana County13.7+0.3 pts
14Lackawanna County13.7+1.5 pts
17Cameron County13.4-0.1 pts
17McKean County13.4-0.5 pts
19Jefferson County13.3+2.3 pts
19Tioga County13.3+1.8 pts
21Clinton County13.2-0.2 pts
22Venango County13.1-0.9 pts
23Berks County12.9+2 pts
23Cambria County12.9+0.4 pts
23Mercer County12.9+0.5 pts
23Somerset County12.9+1.2 pts
23Sullivan County12.9+0.6 pts
28Luzerne County12.8-2.3 pts
28Schuylkill County12.8+0.1 pts
30Wayne County12.6+2.1 pts
31Warren County12.3+1.2 pts
32Lawrence County12.2-0.7 pts
33Union County12.1+1 pts
34Susquehanna County12+0.4 pts
35Blair County11.9+0.3 pts
36Armstrong County11.8+0.1 pts
36Clarion County11.8-1 pts
36Dauphin County11.8+0.2 pts
36Northumberland County11.8-0.3 pts
40Bedford County11.6+0.6 pts
40Wyoming County11.6+1.2 pts
42Fulton County11.4+0.8 pts
43Allegheny County11.3+0.8 pts
43Monroe County11.3+0.8 pts
45Westmoreland County11.2+1.9 pts
46Beaver County11.1+2 pts
46Lehigh County11.1-0.6 pts
48Lycoming County10.7-2.5 pts
49Delaware County10.1+0.8 pts
49Elk County10.1+1.8 pts
51Juniata County9.9-0.1 pts
52Northampton County9.7+2.1 pts
52Snyder County9.7-0.4 pts
54Franklin County9.5+0.1 pts
55Montour County9.3+0.3 pts
56York County9.2+2.1 pts
57Washington County9.1+0.5 pts
58Lebanon County90 pts
59Lancaster County8.8+1.1 pts
59Pike County8.8-0.5 pts
61Adams County8.6+0.6 pts
62Butler County8.5+1.1 pts
63Cumberland County8+0.4 pts
64Perry County7.9-0.6 pts
65Montgomery County7+1.4 pts
66Chester County6.6+1.4 pts
67Bucks County6.5+0.5 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.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 22.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Bucks County, with 6.5% in 2021.

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