Once thriving, this impoverished county reflects the struggle of rural America

VaselineAugust 17, 2024

0 5 minutes read

Once thriving, this impoverished county reflects the struggle of rural America

While the typical American household is earning more than ever before, incomes have not grown fast enough to offset inflation.

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the national median household income was nearly $75,000 in 2022, up from about $69,700 in 2021. The 7.2 percent increase was the largest year-over-year increase in at least since the mid-1990s. However, American citizens are still struggling. While no one was spared from the price hike, Americans at the bottom of the income spectrum bore the brunt. During inflationary times, higher-income Americans can cut back on spending and reduce the impact of rising costs. Meanwhile, lower-income Americans, who spend a larger share of their income on necessities like food, housing and gas, can’t.

The median household income in Pennsylvania is $73,170. However, in many parts of the state, the typical household earns much less than the statewide median.

Using five-year estimates from the US Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 35 poorest counties in Pennsylvania. Counties in the state are ranked by median household income. Population, poverty, and unemployment data are also five-year estimates from the 2022 ACS.

Why is this important?

Once thriving, this impoverished county reflects the struggle of rural America

Among the counties on this list, median household incomes range from about $9,700 to nearly $27,000 below the statewide median. In many of these countries, levels of financial hardship are underscored by widespread poverty. In all but nine counties on this list, the share of residents living below the poverty line exceeds the statewide poverty rate of 11.8 percent.

These are the poorest counties in Pennsylvania.

35. Lycoming County

Average household income: $63,437
Poverty rate: 12.5%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.3%
Population: 114,022

34. Fulton County

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Average household income: $63,153
Poverty rate: 10.7%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 3.7%
Population: 14,545

33. Sullivan County

Average household income: $62,910
Poverty rate: 12.2%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.5%
Population: 5,880

32. Juniata County

Average household income: $61,915
Poverty rate: 9.0%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 3.1%
Population: 23,535

31. Elk County

Average household income: $61,672
Poverty rate: 9.0%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 6.5%
Population: 30,886

30. Huntingdon County

Average household income: $61,300
Poverty rate: 11.3%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.1%
Population: 44,123

29. Armstrong County

Average household income: $61,011
Poverty rate: 10.4%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.1%
Population: 65,538

28. Luzerne County

Average household income: $60,836
Poverty rate: 14.9%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.9%
Population: 325,396

27. Bradford County

Average household income: $60,650
Poverty rate: 13.1%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.8%
Population: 60,159

26. Tioga County

Average household income: $59,707
Poverty rate: 12.2%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.5%
Population: 41,186

25. Columbia County

Average household income: $59,457
Poverty rate: 15.3%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.7%
Population: 64,924

24. Erie County

Average household income: $59,396
Poverty rate: 15.4%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.5%
Population: 270,495

23. Blair County

Average household income: $59,386
Poverty rate: 13.2%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.2%
Population: 122,640

22. Venango County

Average household income: $59,278
Poverty rate: 13.4%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 6.7%
Population: 50,475

21. Wayne County

Average household income: $59,240
Poverty rate: 11.0%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.9%
Population: 51,227

20. Clinton County

Average household income: $59,011
Poverty rate: 13.1%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.3%
Population: 37,860

19. Crawford County

Average household income: $58,734
Poverty rate: 12.7%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.6%
Population: 83,876

18. Clarion County

Average household income: $58,690
Poverty rate: 13.7%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.5%
Population: 37,489

17. Bedford County

Average household income: $58,337
Poverty rate: 10.8%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.3%
Population: 47,613

16. Mifflin County

Average household income: $58,012
Poverty rate: 16.7%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 3.9%
Population: 46,146

15. Warren County

Average household income: $57,925
Poverty rate: 11.6%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.3%
Population: 38,492

14. McKean County

Average household income: $57,861
Poverty rate: 14.1%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.3%
Population: 40,459

13. Lawrence County

Average household income: $57,585
Poverty rate: 12.3%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 6.8%
Population: 85,907

12. Philadelphia County

Average household income: $57,537
Poverty rate: 22.7%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 8.6%
Population: 1,593,208

11. Somerset County

Average household income: $57,357
Poverty rate: 10.8%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.2%
Population: 73,802

10. Mercer County

Average household income: $57,353
Poverty rate: 13.5%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.5%
Population: 110,600

9. Indiana County

Average household income: $57,170
Poverty rate: 13.0%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 6.5%
Population: 83,394

8. Clearfield County

Average household income: $56,982
Poverty rate: 13.7%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 6.0%
Population: 79,707

7. Jefferson County

Average household income: $56,607
Poverty rate: 14.1%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 5.4%
Population: 44,326

6. Potter County

Average household income: $56,491
Poverty rate: 12.2%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.8%
Population: 16,390

5. Northumberland County

Average household income: $55,952
Poverty rate: 12.4%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.7%
Population: 91,340

4. Fayette County

Average household income: $55,579
Poverty rate: 16.2%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 7.2%
Population: 128,417

3. Cambria County

Average household income: $54,221
Poverty rate: 14.4%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.9%
Population: 133,263

2. Forest County

Average household income: $46,188
Poverty rate: 19.2%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 4.3%
Population: 6,959

1. Cameron County

Average household income: $46,186
Poverty rate: 15.0%
5 years. average unemployment rate: 7.1%
Population: 4,536

Rank	County	Average household income ($)	Poverty rate (%)	5 years. average unemployment rate (%)
1	Cameron, Pennsylvania	46,186	15.0	7.1
2	Forest, Pennsylvania	46,188	19.2	4.3
3	Cambria, Pennsylvania	54,221	14.4	4.9
4	Fayette, Pennsylvania	55,579	16.2	7.2
5	Northumberland, Pennsylvania	55,952	12.4	4.7
6	Potter, Pennsylvania	56,491	12.2	4.8
7	Jefferson, Pennsylvania	56,607	14.1	5.4
8	Clearfield, Pennsylvania	56,982	13.7	6.0
9	Indiana, Pennsylvania	57,170	13.0	6.5
10	Mercer, Pennsylvania	57,353	13.5	5.5
11	Somerset, Pennsylvania	57,357	10.8	5.2
12	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	57,537	22.7	8.6
13	Lawrence, Pennsylvania	57,585	12.3	6.8
14	McKean, Pennsylvania	57,861	14.1	5.3
15	Warren, Pennsylvania	57,925	11.6	4.3
16	Mifflin, Pennsylvania	58,012	16.7	3.9
17	Bedford, Pennsylvania	58,337	10.8	4.3
18	Clarion, Pennsylvania	58,690	13.7	5.5
19	Crawford, Pennsylvania	58,734	12.7	5.6
20	Clinton, Pennsylvania	59,011	13.1	5.3
21	Wayne, Pennsylvania	59,240	11.0	5.9
22	Venango, Pennsylvania	59,278	13.4	6.7
23	Blair, Pennsylvania	59,386	13.2	4.2
24	Erie, Pennsylvania	59,396	15.4	5.5
25	Columbia, Pennsylvania	59,457	15.3	4.7
26	Tioga, Pennsylvania	59,707	12.2	4.5
27	Bradford, Pennsylvania	60,650	13.1	4.8
28	Luzerne, Pennsylvania	60,836	14.9	5.9
29	Armstrong, Pennsylvania	61,011	10.4	5.1
30	Huntingdon, Pennsylvania	61,300	11.3	5.1
31	Elk, Pennsylvania	61,672	9.0	6.5
32	Juniata, Pennsylvania	61,915	9.0	3.1
33	Sullivan, Pennsylvania	62,910	12.2	5.5
34	Fulton, Pennsylvania	63,153	10.7	3.7
35	Lycoming, Pennsylvania	63,437	12.5	5.3

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