Bedford County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bedford County, 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 averageLess healthy than 76% of counties in Pennsylvania
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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 91% of counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bedford County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,513 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 46.7 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.35% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.4 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,750 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bedford County declined by 4.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 47,513 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bedford County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.0% of residents. That is 4.0 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,102 17.1% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,598 18.1% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,645 22.4% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,938 23.0% +4.0 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 49.6% of the people living in Bedford County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 50.4% Pennsylvania 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bedford County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bedford County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Bedford County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,993 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.11% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bedford County is about 23% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Bedford County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $207,500 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $784 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.5% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bedford County is about 22.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $784 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bedford County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bedford County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.1 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,692 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,548 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 468 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Cameron County (11.4 min), Elk County (15.4 min), McKean County (15.9 min).
Slowest:
Pike County (32.5 min), Perry County (32.0 min), Carbon County (30.5 min).
The average commute time in Bedford County is about the same as 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
Bedford County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Bedford County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Chester County (0.4), Montgomery County (0.4), Allegheny County (0.4).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.1), Mifflin County (0.2), Juniata County (0.2).
Health
Bedford County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bedford County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.8% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Montgomery County (0.8), Centre County (0.8), Chester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.8), Mifflin County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8).
Bedford County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Bedford County, PA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 47,513 residents against a local median of 121,255. Bedford County, PA's median home price, at $207,500, runs 80% above the $115,491 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 22.0 min against a local median of 17.8 min, 24% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 24% above the local median it puts Bedford County, PA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $96,092 on median home price, so Bedford County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Bedford County, PA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, PA | 47,513 | $59,993 #2/4 | $207,500 #1/4 | 22.0 min #4/4 |
| Allegany County, MD | 67,200 | $59,649 | $151,228 | 17.8 min |
| Blair County, PA | 121,255 | $63,270 | $115,491 | 17.2 min |
| Cambria County, PA | 131,341 | $58,518 | $55,136 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
What is the population of Bedford County, Pennsylvania?
About 47,513 people live in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, in 19,750 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 48.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Bedford County, Pennsylvania mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bedford County, Pennsylvania has 47 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 54% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Bedford County, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($207,500 against $59,993), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $784 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Bedford County, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Bedford County, Pennsylvania is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Bedford County, Pennsylvania?
15.4% of adults in Bedford County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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