Erie County, Pennsylvania
Located in Pennsylvania, Erie County has a population of 269,052 residents and a median age of 40.2 years, making it the #268 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.0%. The median home value is $177,000, and the median household income is $63,354, which is 16% below the national median.
Demographics
Erie County has a population of 269,052, making it the #268 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.2 years, which is 3.3% 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 Erie County is $63,354, ranking #1,762 out of 3,222 counties — 15.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.0% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Erie County is $177,000 (-37.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $904/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Erie County, 30.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 10.1% below the national average, ranking #742 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Erie County is 76.0 years. 19.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.0% of adults in Erie County smoke , 36.9% are obese , and 21.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 33.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Erie County is 4.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.8% of children in Erie County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 17.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Erie County is 65.5%. The mean commute time is 21.7 min, which is 21.5% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Erie County voted Republican with a margin of 1.0%. The vote was 49% Dem / 50% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Erie County, Pennsylvania
Erie County, Pennsylvania has a total population of 269,052, making it the 268th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Erie County is 40.2 years, which is 3.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Erie County is $63,354, which ranks #1,762 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 15.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.
The median home value in Erie County is $177,000, 37.2% below the national median. Renters in Erie County pay a median gross rent of $904 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Erie County, 30.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 10.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.7 min.
Erie County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 81.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (7.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.8%).
All data for Erie 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.