Franklin County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Franklin 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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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 71% of counties in Pennsylvania
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Franklin County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 157,379 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 203.5 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.37% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.4 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 63,510 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Franklin County grew by 11.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 157,379 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Franklin County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.2 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 30,040 19.1% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 31,186 19.8% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 32,710 20.8% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 30,653 19.5% +0.5 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 50.5% of the people living in Franklin County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 49.5% Pennsylvania 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Franklin County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Franklin County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Franklin County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,330 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.06% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Franklin County is about 1% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Franklin County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $92,300 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,092 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.5% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Franklin County is about 7.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,092 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Franklin County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 176 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Franklin County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.1 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.3 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 176 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,459 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,525 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,174 | 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 Franklin County is 21 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
Franklin County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Franklin County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.7% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.45 | 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
Franklin County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Franklin County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.6% | 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).
Franklin County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Franklin County, PA is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 157,379 residents against a local median of 130,902. The measure that sets Franklin County, PA apart most is median home price: $92,300, 49% below the local median of $180,445.
The counties themselves spread $90,556 on median home price, so Franklin County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Franklin County, PA has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, PA | 157,379 | $77,330 #4/5 | $92,300 #5/5 | 21.1 min #2/5 |
| Washington County, MD | 155,706 | $78,373 | $148,959 | 21.6 min |
| Adams County, PA | 106,097 | $83,650 | $211,932 | 22.7 min |
| Cumberland County, PA | 267,961 | $88,838 | $122,503 | 18.6 min |
| Huntingdon County, PA | 43,653 | $65,635 | $213,060 | 25.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
How many people live in Franklin County, Pennsylvania?
About 157,379 people live in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, in 63,510 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Franklin County, Pennsylvania urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Franklin County, Pennsylvania has 204 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Franklin County, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($92,300 against $77,330), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,092 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Franklin County, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Franklin County, Pennsylvania is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Franklin County, Pennsylvania have a college degree?
21.7% of adults in Franklin County, 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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