Carbon County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carbon 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 average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 70% of counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Carbon County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 65,382 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 168.9 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.20% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.6 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 27,256 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carbon County grew by 4.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 65,382 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carbon County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.7% of residents. That is 2.1 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,474 17.5% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 12,597 19.3% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 14,836 22.7% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 14,518 22.2% +3.2 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 50.2% of the people living in Carbon County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 49.8% Pennsylvania 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Carbon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Carbon County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Carbon County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,568 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.64% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.5% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carbon County is about 14% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Carbon County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $56,943 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $993 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.4% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carbon County is about 4.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $993 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carbon County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 254 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carbon County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.5 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.1 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 254 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,888 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.1% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,418 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,090 | 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 Carbon County is 31 minutes, longer 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
Carbon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Carbon County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 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
Carbon County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Carbon County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.8% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 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).
Carbon County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Carbon County, PA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 65,382 residents against a local median of 318,250. Where Carbon County, PA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 73% below the local median of $213,097 at $56,943.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 30.5 min against a local median of 21.5 min, 42% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Carbon County, PA reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread $105,117 on median home price, so Carbon County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carbon County, PA has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County, PA | 65,382 | $67,568 #4/6 | $56,943 #6/6 | 30.5 min #6/6 |
| Lehigh County, PA | 378,708 | $80,478 | $215,869 | 21.5 min |
| Luzerne County, PA | 326,964 | $64,503 | $153,924 | 20.1 min |
| Monroe County, PA | 167,515 | $83,939 | $233,093 | 28.7 min |
| Northampton County, PA | 318,250 | $90,012 | $213,097 | 21.9 min |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 216,127 | $66,702 | $127,976 | 17.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carbon County, Pennsylvania.
How big is Carbon County, Pennsylvania by population?
About 65,382 people live in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, in 27,256 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 46.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
How densely populated is Carbon County, Pennsylvania?
Averaged over its land area, Carbon County, Pennsylvania has 169 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($56,943 against $67,568), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $993 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Carbon County, Pennsylvania is 7.5%, 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 Carbon County, Pennsylvania?
17.5% of adults in Carbon County, 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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