Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

PA · FIPS 42069 Democrat

Located in Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County has a population of 216,146 residents and a median age of 41.9 years, making it the #325 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.4%. The median home value is $201,800, and the median household income is $66,223, which is 12% below the national median.

216,146
Population
#325 of 3,222
$66,223
Median Income
-11.9% #1,505 of 3,222
41.9 years
Median Age
+7.7% #1,541 of 3,222
14.4%
Poverty Rate
+14.0% #1,827 of 3,222

Demographics

Lackawanna County has a population of 216,146, making it the #325 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.9 years, which is 7.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

93.3%
Native Born
6.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lackawanna County is $66,223, ranking #1,505 out of 3,222 counties — 11.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.4% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.

Income#1,505
$66,223
-11.9%
vs nation
53th percentile
Per Capita#1,229
$37,168
-9.9%
vs nation
62th percentile
Poverty#1,827
14.4%
+14.0%
vs nation
43th percentile
Unemployment#1,950
4.9%
-7.5%
vs nation
39th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lackawanna County is $201,800 (-28.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,007/mo and the homeownership rate is 65.4%.

Home Value#1,382
$201,800
-28.4%
vs nation
57th percentile
Rent#972
$1,007
-13.4%
vs nation
70th percentile
Homeownership#2,709
65.4%
+1.6%
vs nation
16th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lackawanna County, 30.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 9.1% below the national average, ranking #724 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
30.6% −9.1% vs nation
Rank #724 of 3,222
78th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lackawanna County is 75.8 years. 17.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,369
75.8
+0.8%
vs nation
55th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,302
17.8%
-9.0%
vs nation
59th percentile
Diabetes#851
9.5%
-14.7%
vs nation
73th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,658
41.4%
+11.0%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#986
5.4
-5.0%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,165
4.2
-5.8%
vs nation
63th percentile
Uninsured Rate#397
5.8%
-44.3%
vs nation
87th percentile
Physical Inactivity#965
23.5%
-10.9%
vs nation
69th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,376
13.6%
-5.6%
vs nation
56th percentile

Substance Use

17.3% of adults in Lackawanna County smoke , 33.2% are obese , and 21.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 44.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,419
17.3%
-3.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Adult Obesity#474
33.2%
-12.4%
vs nation
85th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,337
21.9%
+10.1%
vs nation
26th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,716
44.5
+37.6%
vs nation
19th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Lackawanna County is 2.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.2 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#159
2.3
-71.4%
vs nation
90th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,070
17.1
-13.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#386
10.0
-44.1%
vs nation
84th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#478
11.2
-44.7%
vs nation
83th percentile

Families & Children

19.5% of children in Lackawanna County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 12.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#521
5.8
-14.1%
vs nation
62th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#673
12.8
-41.3%
vs nation
78th percentile
Child Poverty#1,849
19.5%
+2.7%
vs nation
41th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lackawanna County is 71.3%. The mean commute time is 23.0 min, which is 16.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.0 min −16.5% vs nation
Rank #2,334 of 3,222
28th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lackawanna County voted Democratic with a margin of 2.7%. The vote was 51% Dem / 48.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.7 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +2.7%
51% 48.3%
Dem 116,590 votes Rep
2020 DEM +8.4%
53.7% 45.3%
Dem 115,410 votes Rep
2016 DEM +3.4%
50.2% 46.8%
Dem 102,740 votes Rep
2012 DEM +27.3%
63.1% 35.8%
Dem 97,116 votes Rep
2008 DEM +26.0%
62.6% 36.6%
Dem 107,876 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania has a total population of 216,146, making it the 325th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lackawanna County is 41.9 years, which is 7.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lackawanna County is $66,223, which ranks #1,505 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.

The median home value in Lackawanna County is $201,800, 28.4% below the national median. Renters in Lackawanna County pay a median gross rent of $1,007 per month. The homeownership rate is 65.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lackawanna County, 30.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.0 min.

Lackawanna County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 79.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).

All data for Lackawanna 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.