Centre County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Centre 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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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Pennsylvania
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 76% of counties in Pennsylvania
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 158,476 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 142.5 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.06% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.0 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 58,964 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Centre County grew by 9.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 158,476 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Centre County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 34.8% of residents. That is 14.7 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 55,226 34.8% +14.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 29,885 18.9% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 27,181 17.2% -3.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 23,960 15.1% -3.9 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 48.2% of the people living in Centre County and men 51.8%.
- Women 48.2% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 51.8% Pennsylvania 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Centre County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Centre County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,364 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.90% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Centre County is about 5% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $186,521 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,206 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.8% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Centre County is about 12.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,206 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Centre County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.7 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,484 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.3% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,681 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 885 | 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 Centre County is 17 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
Centre County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.9% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 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
Centre County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Centre County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.2% | 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).
Centre County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Centre County, PA is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 158,476 residents against a local median of 40,724. The measure that sets Centre County, PA apart most is commute: 17.4 min, 18% below the local median of 21.1 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 8.3 min on commute, so Centre County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Centre County, PA has the lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre County, PA | 158,476 | $74,364 #1/5 | $186,521 #2/5 | 17.4 min #1/5 |
| Clinton County, PA | 37,796 | $60,839 | $160,252 | 17.6 min |
| Mifflin County, PA | 46,041 | $65,055 | $163,841 | 18.8 min |
| Huntingdon County, PA | 43,653 | $65,635 | $213,060 | 25.9 min |
| Juniata County, PA | 23,379 | $67,134 | $175,893 | 23.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Centre County, Pennsylvania.
What is the population of Centre County, Pennsylvania?
About 158,476 people live in Centre County, Pennsylvania, in 58,964 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 33.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Centre County, Pennsylvania mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Centre County, Pennsylvania has 142 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Centre County, Pennsylvania an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($186,521 against $74,364), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,206 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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