What is the poverty rate in Pennsylvania?
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The poverty rate was about 11.2% of Pennsylvania’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 1.42 million people in Pennsylvania were considered in poverty.
11.2%
of the population (2025)
1.42M
people living under the poverty line (2025)
The state's poverty rate was 11.2% in 2025, the lowest based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010. It was 0.4 percentage points lower than the previous year. Pennsylvania's poverty rate hit a peak in 2011 of 13.8%.
In 2025, 11.2% of Pennsylvania's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 1.42M people living in Pennsylvania were in poverty — down 16.3% from the 2011 peak of 1.7M.
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In 2025, 1.42M people in Pennsylvania were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Pennsylvania?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Pennsylvania decreased from 19.4% to 14.4%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 12.5% to 10.4%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 7.8% to 10.5%.
In 2025, 14.4% of children in Pennsylvania were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Pennsylvania?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Pennsylvania during 2025, five had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); some other race; and two or more races
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: Asian; and White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) population shifted the most, decreasing from 30.3% in 2015 to 19.9% in 2025.
In Pennsylvania, the poverty rate for the Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) population decreased from 30.3% in 2015 to 19.9% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Pennsylvania have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Pennsylvania counties ranged from 6% in Chester County to 21.4% in Philadelphia County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Philadelphia County — was 21.4%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Pennsylvania counties ranged from 6.0% to 21.4%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Philadelphia County | 21.4% |
| 2. | Fayette County | 16.8% |
| 3. | Centre County | 16.3% |
| 4. | Mifflin County | 16.2% |
| 5. | Luzerne County | 15.3% |
| 6. | Erie County | 15.0% |
| 7. | Clinton County | 14.8% |
| 8. | Clearfield County | 14.6% |
| 9. | Lackawanna County | 14.4% |
| 10. | Crawford County | 14.3% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
