Elk County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Elk 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 averageHealthier than 74% of counties in Pennsylvania
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 73% of counties in Pennsylvania
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Elk County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,506 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 36.7 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.24% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.2 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,322 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Elk County declined by 6.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,506 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Elk County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.1% of residents. That is 3.5 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,136 16.8% -3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,213 17.1% -3.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,352 24.1% +3.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,966 22.8% +3.8 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 49.5% of the people living in Elk County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 50.5% Pennsylvania 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Elk County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Elk County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Elk County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,302 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.86% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Elk County is about 17% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Elk County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $21,366 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $718 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.5% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Elk County is about 2.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $718 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Elk County 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 | Elk County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.4 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.8 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 128 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,977 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.1% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,980 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 372 | 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 Elk County 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
Elk County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Elk County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Elk County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Elk County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.2% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.5% | 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).
Elk County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Elk County, PA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 30,506 residents against a local median of 43,864. Where Elk County, PA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 58% below the local median of $51,225 at $21,366.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 15.4 min against a local median of 18.6 min, 17% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 17% below the local median it puts Elk County, PA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $39,512 on median home price, so Elk County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Elk County, PA has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk County, PA | 30,506 | $65,302 #1/4 | $21,366 #4/4 | 15.4 min #1/4 |
| McKean County, PA | 39,894 | $63,476 | $51,225 | 15.9 min |
| Jefferson County, PA | 43,864 | $58,953 | $76,944 | 18.6 min |
| Clearfield County, PA | 78,582 | $63,193 | $37,431 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Elk County, Pennsylvania.
How big is Elk County, Pennsylvania by population?
About 30,506 people live in Elk County, Pennsylvania, in 13,322 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 46.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
How densely populated is Elk County, Pennsylvania?
Averaged over its land area, Elk County, Pennsylvania has 37 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 42% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Elk County, Pennsylvania an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($21,366 against $65,302), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $718 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Elk County, Pennsylvania have a college degree?
17.8% of adults in Elk 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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