Altoona, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Altoona, PA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Altoona | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,565 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4347.3 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.60% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.8 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,478 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Altoona declined by 7.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 42,565 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Altoona is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.3 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,805 20.7% +0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,767 20.6% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,874 20.8% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,617 17.9% -1.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Pennsylvania, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Altoona and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 48.9% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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Economy
Altoona has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Altoona | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,563 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.38% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Altoona is about 34% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Altoona | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $117,184 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $826 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.4% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Altoona is about 11.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $826 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Altoona spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 128 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Altoona | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.4 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.7 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 128 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,969 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,565 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,589 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Altoona is 15 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Pennsylvania.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Altoona has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Altoona | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.7% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Health
Altoona has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Altoona | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.7% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.8% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Altoona, Pennsylvania.
What is the population of Altoona, Pennsylvania?
About 42,565 people live in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in 18,478 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 40.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Altoona, Pennsylvania mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Altoona, Pennsylvania has 4,347 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 50 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Altoona, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($117,184 against $51,563), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $826 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Altoona, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Altoona, Pennsylvania is 6.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Altoona, Pennsylvania?
17.7% of adults in Altoona, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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