Elk County, PA

County

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2023 Population

30,703

0.593% 1-year decline

US Senator

John Fetterman

Democratic Party

US Senator

Dave McCormick

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

48.5

0.622% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

9.09%

1.39% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$64,103

3.94% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$128,600

5.5% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

14,855

0.768% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Elk County, PA had a population of 30.7k people with a median age of 48.5 and a median household income of $64,103. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Elk County, PA declined from 30,886 to 30,703, a −0.593% decrease and its median household income grew from $61,672 to $64,103, a 3.94% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Elk County, PA are White (Non-Hispanic) (94.7%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.99%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.837%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.41%), and White (Hispanic) (0.397%).

None of the households in Elk County, PA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.5% of the residents in Elk County, PA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Elk County, PA was $128,600, and the homeownership rate was 78.9%.

Most people in Elk County, PA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18 minutes. The average car ownership in Elk County, PA was 2 cars per household.

Elk County, PA borders Cameron County, PA, Clearfield County, PA, Forest County, PA, Jefferson County, PA, McKean County, PA, and Warren County, PA.

About the photo: Beaver Run Shallow Water Impoundment, Elk County, within the Quehanna Wild Area of Moshannon State Forest.

Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli

United States Pennsylvania St. Marys, PA

Population & Diversity

Elk County, PA is home to a population of 30.7k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.41% of Elk County, PA residents were born outside of the country (434 people).

In 2023, there were 31.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (29.1k people) in Elk County, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 919 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 257 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

99.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.5% of Elk County, PA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Elk County, PA was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Elk County, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Elk County, PA

White (Non-Hispanic)
29.1k ± 294
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
919 ± 301
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
257 ± 49

0.997%

Hispanic Population

306 people

0.997% of the people in Elk County, PA are hispanic (306 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Elk County, PA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Pennsylvania.

Most Common Origin

India
99,082 ± 7,698 people
Dominican Republic
90,229 ± 7,349 people
China
69,880 ± 6,473 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was India, the natal country of 99,082 Pennsylvania residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 90,229 and China with 69,880.

Foreign-Born Population

1.41%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

434 people

0.91%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

281 people

As of 2023, 1.41% of Elk County, PA residents (434 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Elk County, PA was 0.91%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Elk County, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
754 ± 154
Gulf War (2001-)
289 ± 108
Gulf War (1990s)
263 ± 112

Elk County, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.61 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Elk County, PA employs 14.9k people. The largest industries in Elk County, PA are Manufacturing (5,247 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,623 people), and Retail Trade (1,455 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($86,447), Wholesale Trade ($80,330), and Utilities ($72,708).

Males in Pennsylvania have an average income that is 1.32 times higher than the average income of females, which is $62,610. The income inequality in Pennsylvania (measured using the Gini index) is 0.466, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

14.9k

2023 Value

± 772

−0.768%

1 Year decline

± 7.29%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Elk County, PA declined at a rate of −0.768%, from 15k employees to 14.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Elk County, PA, are Production Occupations (2,517 people), Material Moving Occupations (1,604 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,423 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Elk County, PA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Pennsylvania (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

14.9k

2023 Value

± 772

−0.768%

1 Year decline

± 7.29%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Elk County, PA declined at a rate of −0.768%, from 15k employees to 14.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Elk County, PA, are Manufacturing (5,247 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,623 people), and Retail Trade (1,455 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Elk County, PA, though some of these residents may live in Elk County, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,202

Median earning men ± $2,715

$34,236

Median earning women ± $2,101

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($80,686), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,697), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($60,714).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,727), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($41,290), and Public Administration ($41,284).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

Y-Axis

2.78%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Pennsylvania. This represents a 2.78% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 18.1%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Pennsylvania.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

76
Other Services (except Public Administration)
54
Retail Trade
52
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$337k
Manufacturing
$72.4k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$40.2k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Elk County, PA went to Donald J. Trump with 71.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (26.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.44%).

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing the state of Pennsylvania. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Pennsylvania is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (71.8%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (26.7%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.44%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Elk County, PA went to Donald J. Trump with 71.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (26.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.44%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Elk County, PA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Pennsylvania

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

John Fetterman

Senator from Pennsylvania

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Dave McCormick

Senator from Pennsylvania

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing Pennsylvania.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Pennsylvania over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Pennsylvania have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

Measure

In 2022, 0.733% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.743% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (3.5M), Bachelors Degree (1.98M), and Some college (1.83M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Elk County, PA was $128,600 in 2023, which is 0.424 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $121,900 to $128,600, a 5.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Elk County, PA is 78.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Elk County, PA have an average commute time of 18 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Elk County, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Elk County, PA is $64,103. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Elk County, PA was Census Tract 9510 with a value of $75,346, followed by Census Tract 9502 and Census Tract 9513, with respective values of $70,324 and $69,866.

In 2023, 7.42% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Elk County, PA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.98%.

Housing

Property

$128,600

Median Property Value 2023

±$6,029

$10,631

Median Property Taxes

±$597

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Elk County, PA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Elk County, PA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

78.9%

Homeownership

2023

60.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 78.9% of the housing units in Elk County, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 79.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Elk County, PA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9510
Census Tract 9502
Census Tract 9513

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Elk County, PA was Census Tract 9510 with a value of $75,346, followed by Census Tract 9502 and Census Tract 9513, with respective values of $70,324 and $69,866.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Elk County, PA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$64,103

Median Household Income

± $4,145

13.5k

Number of Households

± 712

In 2023, the median household income of the 13.5k households in Elk County, PA grew to $64,103 from the previous year's value of $61,672.

The following chart displays the households in Elk County, PA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Elk County, PA is from Pennsylvania.

0.466

2022 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

0.467

2021 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2022, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.123% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Pennsylvania in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Pennsylvania across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (82.8%)
Carpooled (9.07%)
Worked At Home (2.78%)

In 2023, 82.8% of workers in Elk County, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.07%) and those who worked at home (2.78%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

18 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Elk County, PA have a shorter commute time (18 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.45% of the workforce in Elk County, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Elk County, PA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Elk County, PA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Elk County, PA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 7.42% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Elk County, PA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.98%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

9.09% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Elk County, PA (2.76k out of 30.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Elk County, PA is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 14.1% of the children was living in poverty in Elk County, PA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 0.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

97.3% of the population of Elk County, PA has health coverage, with 45.4% on employee plans, 15.9% on Medicaid, 17.3% on Medicare, 17.8% on non-group plans, and 0.898% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Elk County, PA see 2277 patients per year on average, which represents a 8.63% decrease from the previous year (2492 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3848 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 905 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.4% were men and 49.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,277 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Elk County, PA

Primary care physicians in Elk County, PA see an average of 2,277 patients per year. This represents a 8.63% decrease from the previous year (2,492 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Elk County, PA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.6% under 18 years, 15.6% between 18 and 34 years, 40.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.4% were men and 49.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

2.66%

Uninsured

45.4%

Employer Coverage

15.9%

Medicaid

17.3%

Medicare

17.8%

Non-Group

0.898%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Elk County, PA declined by 2.92% from 2.74% to 2.66%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Elk County, PA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 47.6 in Elk County, PA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Elk County, PA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 31.5% in Elk County, PA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Elk County, PA.