Potter County, Pennsylvania

PA · FIPS 42105 Republican

Located in Pennsylvania, Potter County has a population of 16,188 residents and a median age of 48.4 years, making it the #2,086 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.0%. The median home value is $153,100, and the median household income is $59,020, which is 21% below the national median.

16,188
Population
#2,086 of 3,222
$59,020
Median Income
-21.5% #2,168 of 3,222
48.4 years
Median Age
+24.4% #336 of 3,222
13.0%
Poverty Rate
+3.3% #1,529 of 3,222

Demographics

Potter County has a population of 16,188, making it the #2,086 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

98.6%
Native Born
1.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Potter County is $59,020, ranking #2,168 out of 3,222 counties — 21.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.0% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.

Income#2,168
$59,020
-21.5%
vs nation
33th percentile
Per Capita#1,972
$32,778
-20.6%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poverty#1,529
13.0%
+3.3%
vs nation
53th percentile
Unemployment#1,212
3.8%
-27.9%
vs nation
62th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Potter County is $153,100 (-45.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $809/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.7%.

Home Value#2,190
$153,100
-45.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Rent#2,040
$809
-30.4%
vs nation
37th percentile
Homeownership#682
79.7%
+23.7%
vs nation
79th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Potter County, 18.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 46.1% below the national average, ranking #2,335 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.2% −46.1% vs nation
Rank #2,335 of 3,222
28th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Potter County is 76.4 years. 18.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,140
76.4
+1.7%
vs nation
63th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,378
18.1%
-7.5%
vs nation
56th percentile
Diabetes#852
9.5%
-14.7%
vs nation
73th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,125
39.4%
+5.6%
vs nation
32th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,193
5.9
+5.3%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,837
4.6
+2.3%
vs nation
42th percentile
Uninsured Rate#814
7.0%
-33.0%
vs nation
74th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,262
24.7%
-6.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,513
14.0%
-2.8%
vs nation
52th percentile

Substance Use

19.2% of adults in Potter County smoke , 38.2% are obese , and 21.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,052
19.2%
+6.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,501
38.2%
+0.8%
vs nation
52th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,283
21.7%
+9.3%
vs nation
27th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#695
21.9
-32.4%
vs nation
67th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 22.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,894
22.8
+15.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,727
20.7
+15.9%
vs nation
30th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#918
14.7
-27.5%
vs nation
68th percentile

Families & Children

17.7% of children in Potter County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 22.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,685
22.2
+1.7%
vs nation
44th percentile
Child Poverty#1,551
17.7%
-6.8%
vs nation
51th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Potter County is 68.6%. The mean commute time is 25.5 min, which is 7.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
68.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.5 min −7.6% vs nation
Rank #1,830 of 3,222
43th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Potter County voted Republican with a margin of 62.3%. The vote was 18.4% Dem / 80.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +62.3%
18.4% 80.7%
Dem 9,085 votes Rep
2020 REP +60.9%
19% 79.9%
Dem 9,064 votes Rep
2016 REP +63.6%
16.7% 80.3%
Dem 7,777 votes Rep
2012 REP +45.9%
26.3% 72.2%
Dem 7,205 votes Rep
2008 REP +37.5%
30.6% 68.1%
Dem 7,507 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Potter County, Pennsylvania

Potter County, Pennsylvania has a total population of 16,188, making it the 2,086th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Potter County is 48.4 years, which is 24.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Potter County is $59,020, which ranks #2,168 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.

The median home value in Potter County is $153,100, 45.7% below the national median. Renters in Potter County pay a median gross rent of $809 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Potter County, 18.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.5 min.

Potter 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 (2.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.7%).

All data for Potter 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.