Elk County, Pennsylvania

PA · FIPS 42047 Republican

Located in Pennsylvania, Elk County has a population of 30,506 residents and a median age of 48.4 years, making it the #1,465 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.7%. The median home value is $133,600, and the median household income is $66,380, which is 12% below the national median.

30,506
Population
#1,465 of 3,222
$66,380
Median Income
-11.7% #1,481 of 3,222
48.4 years
Median Age
+24.4% #335 of 3,222
8.7%
Poverty Rate
-31.0% #506 of 3,222

Demographics

Elk County has a population of 30,506, making it the #1,465 most populous county in the US. The median age is 48.4 years, which is 24.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.9%
Native Born
1.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Elk County is $66,380, ranking #1,481 out of 3,222 counties — 11.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 8.7% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.

Income#1,481
$66,380
-11.7%
vs nation
54th percentile
Per Capita#1,363
$36,391
-11.8%
vs nation
58th percentile
Poverty#506
8.7%
-31.0%
vs nation
84th percentile
Unemployment#2,375
5.6%
+6.6%
vs nation
26th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Elk County is $133,600 (-52.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $719/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.5%.

Home Value#2,478
$133,600
-52.6%
vs nation
23th percentile
Rent#2,648
$719
-38.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Homeownership#700
79.5%
+23.5%
vs nation
78th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Elk County, 20.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 38.9% below the national average, ranking #1,897 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.6% −38.9% vs nation
Rank #1,897 of 3,222
41th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Elk County is 76.6 years. 17.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,042
76.6
+2.0%
vs nation
66th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,138
17.2%
-12.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Diabetes#659
9.2%
-17.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,839
38.4%
+2.9%
vs nation
42th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,943
5.8
+3.0%
vs nation
38th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,408
4.3
-2.6%
vs nation
55th percentile
Uninsured Rate#477
6.0%
-42.2%
vs nation
85th percentile
Physical Inactivity#963
23.5%
-10.9%
vs nation
69th percentile
Food Insecurity#848
12.1%
-16.0%
vs nation
73th percentile

Substance Use

17.7% of adults in Elk County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 22.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 36.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,564
17.7%
-1.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,386
37.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
56th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,387
22.1%
+10.9%
vs nation
24th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,464
36.3
+12.3%
vs nation
31th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 25.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,105
25.4
+29.0%
vs nation
18th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,336
17.2
-3.7%
vs nation
46th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,162
16.5
-18.3%
vs nation
59th percentile

Families & Children

13.8% of children in Elk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 13.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#730
13.2
-39.4%
vs nation
76th percentile
Child Poverty#909
13.8%
-27.3%
vs nation
71th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Elk County is 69.7%. The mean commute time is 20.2 min, which is 26.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.2 min −26.9% vs nation
Rank #2,791 of 3,222
13th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Elk County voted Republican with a margin of 47.0%. The vote was 26.1% Dem / 73.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +47.0%
26.1% 73.1%
Dem 17,153 votes Rep
2020 REP +45.1%
26.7% 71.8%
Dem 16,906 votes Rep
2016 REP +43.7%
26.3% 70%
Dem 13,854 votes Rep
2012 REP +15.7%
41.4% 57.1%
Dem 12,425 votes Rep
2008 DEM +4.3%
51.1% 46.8%
Dem 14,271 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Elk County, Pennsylvania

Elk County, Pennsylvania has a total population of 30,506, making it the 1,465th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Elk County is 48.4 years, which is 24.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Elk County is $66,380, which ranks #1,481 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.6%.

The median home value in Elk County is $133,600, 52.6% below the national median. Renters in Elk County pay a median gross rent of $719 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Elk County, 20.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 38.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.2 min.

Elk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.0%).

All data for Elk 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.