Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Pennsylvania

Cities in Pennsylvania by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

State College, PA had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 68 cities in 2023, at 39.1%. Franklin Park, PA had the lowest, at 0.9%. The median was 17.8% and the figure for Pennsylvania was 11.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest39.1State College, PA
Lowest0.9Franklin Park, PA
Median17.868 cities
Pennsylvania11.8History

Top 40 cities, 2023

State College, PA: 39.1 %State College, PA39.1McKeesport, PA: 32.9 %McKeesport, PA32.9Darby, PA: 31.5 %Darby, PA31.5Johnstown, PA: 31.2 %Johnstown, PA31.2Chester, PA: 30.8 %Chester, PA30.8Bloomsburg, PA: 30.6 %Bloomsburg, PA30.6Harrisburg, PA: 29.1 %Harrisburg, PA29.1Hazleton, PA: 27 %Hazleton, PA27Reading, PA: 27 %Reading, PA27New Castle, PA: 26.1 %New Castle, PA26.1Williamsport, PA: 25.2 %Williamsport, PA25.2Erie, PA: 24.6 %Erie, PA24.6Lebanon, PA: 22.9 %Lebanon, PA22.9Butler, PA: 22.9 %Butler, PA22.9York, PA: 22.7 %York, PA22.7Philadelphia, PA: 22 %Philadelphia, PA22Scranton, PA: 22 %Scranton, PA22Berwick, PA: 21.7 %Berwick, PA21.7Allentown, PA: 21.6 %Allentown, PA21.6Sharon, PA: 21.3 %Sharon, PA21.3Wilkes-Barre, PA: 21.1 %Wilkes-Barre, PA21.1Lancaster, PA: 20.7 %Lancaster, PA20.7Coatesville, PA: 20.4 %Coatesville, PA20.4Wilkinsburg, PA: 20.3 %Wilkinsburg, PA20.3Indiana, PA: 19.8 %Indiana, PA19.8Pottstown, PA: 19.8 %Pottstown, PA19.8Pittsburgh, PA: 19.5 %Pittsburgh, PA19.5Kingston, PA: 19.3 %Kingston, PA19.3Norristown, PA: 19 %Norristown, PA19Altoona, PA: 18.8 %Altoona, PA18.8West Chester, PA: 18.3 %West Chester, PA18.3Pottsville, PA: 18.3 %Pottsville, PA18.3Meadville, PA: 18.3 %Meadville, PA18.3Easton, PA: 17.9 %Easton, PA17.9Nanticoke, PA: 17.7 %Nanticoke, PA17.7Columbia, PA: 17.4 %Columbia, PA17.4Carlisle, PA: 17.4 %Carlisle, PA17.4New Kensington, PA: 16.9 %New Kensington, PA16.9Washington, PA: 16.2 %Washington, PA16.2Bethlehem, PA: 15.8 %Bethlehem, PA15.8State College, PA: 39.1 %State College, PA39.1McKeesport, PA: 32.9 %McKeesport, PA32.9Darby, PA: 31.5 %Darby, PA31.5Johnstown, PA: 31.2 %Johnstown, PA31.2Chester, PA: 30.8 %Chester, PA30.8Bloomsburg, PA: 30.6 %Bloomsburg, PA30.6Harrisburg, PA: 29.1 %Harrisburg, PA29.1Hazleton, PA: 27 %Hazleton, PA27Reading, PA: 27 %Reading, PA27New Castle, PA: 26.1 %New Castle, PA26.1Williamsport, PA: 25.2 %Williamsport, PA25.2Erie, PA: 24.6 %Erie, PA24.6Lebanon, PA: 22.9 %Lebanon, PA22.9Butler, PA: 22.9 %Butler, PA22.9York, PA: 22.7 %York, PA22.7Philadelphia, PA: 22 %Philadelphia, PA22Scranton, PA: 22 %Scranton, PA22Berwick, PA: 21.7 %Berwick, PA21.7Allentown, PA: 21.6 %Allentown, PA21.6Sharon, PA: 21.3 %Sharon, PA21.3Wilkes-Barre, PA: 21.1 %Wilkes-Barre, PA21.1Lancaster, PA: 20.7 %Lancaster, PA20.7Coatesville, PA: 20.4 %Coatesville, PA20.4Wilkinsburg, PA: 20.3 %Wilkinsburg, PA20.3Indiana, PA: 19.8 %Indiana, PA19.8Pottstown, PA: 19.8 %Pottstown, PA19.8Pittsburgh, PA: 19.5 %Pittsburgh, PA19.5Kingston, PA: 19.3 %Kingston, PA19.3Norristown, PA: 19 %Norristown, PA19Altoona, PA: 18.8 %Altoona, PA18.8West Chester, PA: 18.3 %West Chester, PA18.3Pottsville, PA: 18.3 %Pottsville, PA18.3Meadville, PA: 18.3 %Meadville, PA18.3Easton, PA: 17.9 %Easton, PA17.9Nanticoke, PA: 17.7 %Nanticoke, PA17.7Columbia, PA: 17.4 %Columbia, PA17.4Carlisle, PA: 17.4 %Carlisle, PA17.4New Kensington, PA: 16.9 %New Kensington, PA16.9Washington, PA: 16.2 %Washington, PA16.2Bethlehem, PA: 15.8 %Bethlehem, PA15.8
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1State College, PA39.1-3.1 pts
2McKeesport, PA32.9+4.1 pts
3Darby, PA31.5-2.3 pts
4Johnstown, PA31.2-1.6 pts
5Chester, PA30.8+2.5 pts
6Bloomsburg, PA30.6-1.4 pts
7Harrisburg, PA29.1+0.8 pts
8Hazleton, PA27+1.3 pts
9Reading, PA27-1.6 pts
10New Castle, PA26.1-0.3 pts
11Williamsport, PA25.2-0.2 pts
12Erie, PA24.6+0.2 pts
13Lebanon, PA22.9-0.4 pts
14Butler, PA22.9+1.2 pts
15York, PA22.7-1.9 pts
16Philadelphia, PA22-0.7 pts
17Scranton, PA22+2.3 pts
18Berwick, PA21.7+3.6 pts
19Allentown, PA21.6+0.2 pts
20Sharon, PA21.3+1 pts
21Wilkes-Barre, PA21.1-0.6 pts
22Lancaster, PA20.7+1.9 pts
23Coatesville, PA20.4-3.9 pts
24Wilkinsburg, PA20.3-2.6 pts
25Indiana, PA19.8-4.8 pts
26Pottstown, PA19.8+4.7 pts
27Pittsburgh, PA19.50 pts
28Kingston, PA19.3+0.5 pts
29Norristown, PA19+0.6 pts
30Altoona, PA18.8-0.5 pts
31West Chester, PA18.3-2.6 pts
32Pottsville, PA18.3-2.5 pts
33Meadville, PA18.3+0.2 pts
34Easton, PA17.9+1.4 pts
35Nanticoke, PA17.7-0.7 pts
36Columbia, PA17.4+0.9 pts
37Carlisle, PA17.4-1.5 pts
38New Kensington, PA16.9-2.6 pts
39Washington, PA16.2-3.3 pts
40Bethlehem, PA15.8-2.5 pts
41Greensburg, PA14-1.5 pts
42Munhall, PA13.7+0.5 pts
43Hanover, PA13.1+0.6 pts
44West Mifflin, PA11.9-1.4 pts
45Chambersburg, PA11.7-2 pts
46Dunmore, PA11.4+2.2 pts
47Lansdowne, PA10.6+0.1 pts
48Baldwin, PA10.5+2.9 pts
49Hermitage, PA10.1-2.3 pts
50Monroeville, PA9.8+1.7 pts
51Lansdale, PA9.5+1.2 pts
52Ephrata, PA9.3-0.1 pts
53Waynesboro, PA9.2-3.8 pts
54St. Marys, PA8.4-0.6 pts
55Phoenixville, PA8.4-1.7 pts
56Whitehall, PA8.2-0.6 pts
56Yeadon, PA8.2-0.2 pts
58Lower Burrell, PA7.6+1.9 pts
59Elizabethtown, PA7.5-0.6 pts
60Northampton, PA7.1-2 pts
61Wyomissing, PA6+1.3 pts
62Emmaus, PA5.8-1.2 pts
63Mechanicsburg, PA5.2-0.3 pts
64Bethel Park, PA4.3-0.4 pts
65Murrysville, PA3.9+0.4 pts
66Plum, PA3.1-0.1 pts
67Jefferson Hills, PA2-0.9 pts
68Franklin Park, PA0.9-2.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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 cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Pennsylvania by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Pennsylvania by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Pennsylvania by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Pennsylvania by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_pennsylvania_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Pennsylvania by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Pennsylvania by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/pennsylvania-cities?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Cities in Pennsylvania by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate_acs","level":"municipality","within":"Pennsylvania","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=poverty_rate_acs&level=municipality&within=Pennsylvania&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

State College, PA, with 39.1% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Franklin Park, PA, with 0.9% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Pennsylvania: more rankings