Erie, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Erie, 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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C
Health Below 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 | Erie | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 90,213 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4657.9 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.79% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.9 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 38,305 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Erie declined by 9.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 90,213 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Erie is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.3% of residents. That is 5.2 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 22,829 25.3% +5.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 18,528 20.5% -0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 16,949 18.8% -1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 14,176 15.7% -3.3 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 Erie and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 48.9% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Erie
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Economy
Erie has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Erie | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,054 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.46% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Erie is about 41% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Erie | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $103,496 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $867 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.3% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Erie is about 10.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $867 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Erie spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 135 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Erie | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.2 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.5 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,195 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,249 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,375 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Erie is 16 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
Erie has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Erie | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.9% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.20 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Health
Erie has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Erie | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.9% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.4% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Erie, Pennsylvania.
What is the population of Erie, Pennsylvania?
About 90,213 people live in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 38,305 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 33.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Erie, Pennsylvania mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Erie, Pennsylvania has 4,658 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 54 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Erie, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($103,496 against $46,054), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $867 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Erie, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Erie, Pennsylvania is 7.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Erie, Pennsylvania have a college degree?
19.9% of adults in Erie, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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