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 2023, at 24.8%. Chester County had the lowest, at 6.2%. The median was 12.6% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 11.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24.8Forest County
Lowest6.2Chester County
Median12.667 counties
Pennsylvania11.9History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Forest CountyForest County: 24.8 %24.8Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County: 20.3 %20.3Fayette CountyFayette County: 18.9 %18.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 18.8 %18.8Centre CountyCentre County: 17.1 %17.1Indiana CountyIndiana County: 16.5 %16.5Luzerne CountyLuzerne County: 16.4 %16.4Lackawanna CountyLackawanna County: 16.1 %16.1McKean CountyMcKean County: 15.9 %15.9Clinton CountyClinton County: 15.5 %15.5Greene CountyGreene County: 15.5 %15.5Clearfield CountyClearfield County: 15.4 %15.4Cameron CountyCameron County: 15.3 %15.3Mifflin CountyMifflin County: 15.2 %15.2Erie CountyErie County: 14.5 %14.5Blair CountyBlair County: 14.4 %14.4Clarion CountyClarion County: 14.2 %14.2Schuylkill CountySchuylkill County: 14.2 %14.2Bradford CountyBradford County: 13.9 %13.9Sullivan CountySullivan County: 13.8 %13.8Venango CountyVenango County: 13.8 %13.8Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 13.6 %13.6Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 13.5 %13.5Cambria CountyCambria County: 13.2 %13.2Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County: 13 %13Tioga CountyTioga County: 13 %13Dauphin CountyDauphin County: 12.9 %12.9Lycoming CountyLycoming County: 12.8 %12.8Wayne CountyWayne County: 12.8 %12.8Fulton CountyFulton County: 12.7 %12.7Potter CountyPotter County: 12.7 %12.7Columbia CountyColumbia County: 12.6 %12.6Crawford CountyCrawford County: 12.6 %12.6Mercer CountyMercer County: 12.6 %12.6Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 12.3 %12.3Lehigh CountyLehigh County: 12.1 %12.1Carbon CountyCarbon County: 12 %12Somerset CountySomerset County: 12 %12Susquehanna CountySusquehanna County: 12 %12Armstrong CountyArmstrong County: 11.9 %11.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Forest County24.8-0.7 pts
2Philadelphia County20.3-1.2 pts
3Fayette County18.9+1.7 pts
4Jefferson County18.8+5.5 pts
5Centre County17.1+1.1 pts
6Indiana County16.5+2.5 pts
7Luzerne County16.4+1.2 pts
8Lackawanna County16.1+3 pts
9McKean County15.9+0.5 pts
10Clinton County15.5+2.6 pts
10Greene County15.5+2.5 pts
12Clearfield County15.4+3.7 pts
13Cameron County15.3+2.3 pts
14Mifflin County15.2+0.5 pts
15Erie County14.5-0.4 pts
16Blair County14.4+1.3 pts
17Clarion County14.2+0.5 pts
17Schuylkill County14.2+2 pts
19Bradford County13.9+1.5 pts
20Sullivan County13.8+0.7 pts
20Venango County13.80 pts
22Lawrence County13.6+0.9 pts
23Wyoming County13.5+1.9 pts
24Cambria County13.2-3 pts
25Huntingdon County130 pts
25Tioga County13+0.8 pts
27Dauphin County12.9+0.6 pts
28Lycoming County12.8+0.8 pts
28Wayne County12.80 pts
30Fulton County12.7+1.5 pts
30Potter County12.7-2.3 pts
32Columbia County12.6-1.3 pts
32Crawford County12.6-1.3 pts
32Mercer County12.6+0.1 pts
35Northumberland County12.3-1.7 pts
36Lehigh County12.1+0.8 pts
37Carbon County12+1.8 pts
37Somerset County12-2.3 pts
37Susquehanna County12+0.8 pts
40Armstrong County11.9-0.6 pts
40Berks County11.9+1.1 pts
42Allegheny County11.6+0.3 pts
43Warren County11.4-2.1 pts
44Union County11.3-0.1 pts
45Bedford County11.2-1.4 pts
46Snyder County10.9+1.1 pts
47Delaware County10.8+1.1 pts
47Juniata County10.8-0.3 pts
47Westmoreland County10.8+1.1 pts
50Beaver County10.4+0.2 pts
51Perry County10.1+1.4 pts
52Elk County100 pts
52Pike County10+1 pts
54Montour County9.8+0.2 pts
54Northampton County9.8-0.8 pts
56Monroe County9.6-2.7 pts
57Washington County9.5-2 pts
58Adams County9.3+0.7 pts
58Butler County9.3+0.4 pts
60Lebanon County8.7-2.6 pts
61Lancaster County8.6-0.5 pts
62York County8.5-0.6 pts
63Cumberland County8.2+0.3 pts
63Franklin County8.2-0.4 pts
65Montgomery County6.9+0.3 pts
66Bucks County6.7+0.8 pts
67Chester County6.2+0.6 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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 24.8% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Chester County, with 6.2% in 2023.

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