Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Located in Pennsylvania, Bedford County has a population of 47,513 residents and a median age of 47.5 years, making it the #1,051 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.6%. The median home value is $179,000, and the median household income is $59,992, which is 20% below the national median.
Demographics
Bedford County has a population of 47,513, making it the #1,051 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.5 years, which is 22.1% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Bedford County is $59,992, ranking #2,084 out of 3,222 counties — 20.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.6% and unemployment stands at 3.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Bedford County is $179,000 (-36.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $784/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Bedford County, 16.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 52.3% below the national average, ranking #2,653 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Bedford County is 76.2 years. 18.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.5% of adults in Bedford County smoke , 35.3% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 36.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Bedford County is 3.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
14.3% of children in Bedford County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Bedford County is 71.4%. The mean commute time is 28.8 min, which is 4.2% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Bedford County voted Republican with a margin of 68.6%. The vote was 15.4% Dem / 84% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania has a total population of 47,513, making it the 1,051st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bedford County is 47.5 years, which is 22.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Bedford County is $59,992, which ranks #2,084 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.9%.
The median home value in Bedford County is $179,000, 36.5% below the national median. Renters in Bedford County pay a median gross rent of $784 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Bedford County, 16.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 52.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.8 min.
Bedford County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.4%).
All data for Bedford County, Pennsylvania comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.