Swarthmore, PA

Census Place

2024 Population

6,550

US Senator

John Fetterman

Democratic Party

US Senator

Dave McCormick

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

28.3

17.7% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

1.79%

36.4% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$152,361

3.65% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$633,800

Population & Diversity

Swarthmore, PA is home to a population of 6.55k people, from which 96.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 11.4% of Swarthmore, PA residents were born outside of the country (749 people).

In 2024, there were 6.97 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.58k people) in Swarthmore, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 657 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 392 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.7%

2024 Citizenship

96.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.7% of Swarthmore, PA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Swarthmore, PA was 96.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Swarthmore, PA

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.58k ± 414
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
657 ± 265
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
392 ± 205

6.76%

Hispanic Population

443 people

6.76% of the people in Swarthmore, PA are hispanic (443 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Swarthmore, PA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
103,235 ± 7,857 people
India
102,082 ± 7,813 people
China
73,024 ± 6,616 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 103,235 Pennsylvania residents, followed by India with 102,082 and China with 73,024.

Foreign-Born Population

11.4%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

749 people

12.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

809 people

As of 2024, 11.4% of Swarthmore, PA residents (749 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Swarthmore, PA was 12.4%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
120 ± 93
Vietnam
59 ± 53
Gulf War (2001-)
33 ± 47

Swarthmore, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 2.03 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Swarthmore, PA.

Economy

The economy of Swarthmore, PA employs 2.89k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Swarthmore, PA were Educational Services (883 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (460 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (245 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($250,001), Information ($250,001), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($250,001).

Employment

Occupations

2.89k

2024 Value

± 406

−0.892%

1 Year decline

± 20.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Swarthmore, PA declined at a rate of −0.892%, from 2.91k employees to 2.89k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Swarthmore, PA, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (637 people), Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (288 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (264 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Swarthmore, PA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.89k

2024 Value

± 406

−0.892%

1 Year decline

± 20.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Swarthmore, PA declined at a rate of −0.892%, from 2.91k employees to 2.89k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Swarthmore, PA, are Educational Services (883 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (460 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (245 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Swarthmore, PA, though some of these residents may live in Swarthmore, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$68,558

Median earning men ± $22,735

$82,250

Median earning women ± $53,647

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($247,125), Manufacturing ($149,643), and Public Administration ($142,987).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($250,001), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($208,213), and Public Administration ($111,265).

Education

The student population of Swarthmore, PA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 776 male students and 847 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Swarthmore, PA are White (177 and 34.7%), Asian (139 and 27.3%), Hispanic or Latino (84 and 16.5%), and Two or More Races (52 and 10.2%).

The largest universities in Swarthmore, PA by number of degrees awarded are Swarthmore College (600 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Swarthmore, PA are General Computer & Information Sciences (87 and 14.5%), General Economics (78 and 13%), and General Mathematics (56 and 9.33%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $65,058.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Swarthmore, PA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 7.46%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 43.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 1,623 (47.8% men and 52.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 1,623 students enrolled in Swarthmore, PA, 47.8% men and 52.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 490 records, of which 53.3% were women and 46.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Computer & Information Sciences
87 degrees awarded
General Economics
78 degrees awarded
General Mathematics
56 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Swarthmore, PA was General Computer & Information Sciences with 87 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Swarthmore, PA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Swarthmore College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

600 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Swarthmore College with 600 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 281 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Swarthmore, PA, which is 0.881 times less than the 319 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 177 degrees mean that there were 1.27 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 139 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($65,058) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($436) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($760) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Swarthmore, PA was $633,800 in 2024, which is 1.91 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $557,900 to $633,800, a 13.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Swarthmore, PA is 76%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Swarthmore, PA have an average commute time of 26.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Swarthmore, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$633,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$61,006

$1,571

Median Property Taxes

±$255

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 Swarthmore, PA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

76%

Homeownership

2024

54.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76% of the housing units in Swarthmore, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.5%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$152,361

Median Household Income

± $53,472

2.07k

Number of Households

± 302

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.07k households in Swarthmore, PA grew to $152,361 from the previous year's value of $146,992.

The following chart displays the households in Swarthmore, 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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.463

2024 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

0.463

2023 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2024, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0903% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 2024

Drove Alone (41.9%)
Walked (24.5%)
Worked At Home (21.1%)

In 2024, 41.9% of workers in Swarthmore, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (24.5%) and those who worked at home (21.1%).

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

26.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Swarthmore, PA have a shorter commute time (26.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.78% of the workforce in Swarthmore, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

1.79% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Swarthmore, PA (87 out of 4.87k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Males 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Swarthmore, PA is White, followed by Other 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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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