Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Harrisburg, 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 | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,287 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4238.7 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.28% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.5 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 22,137 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Harrisburg grew by 5.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 50,287 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Harrisburg is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.8% of residents. That is 3.6 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,956 23.8% +3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,510 22.9% +1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,273 18.4% -2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,243 12.4% -6.6 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 52.2% of the people living in Harrisburg and men 47.8%.
- Women 52.2% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 47.8% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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Economy
Harrisburg has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,901 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.82% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 11.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Harrisburg is about 39% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $141,249 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,062 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 36.6% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Harrisburg is about 11.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,062 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Harrisburg spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.8 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,626 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.8% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,555 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,298 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Harrisburg is 18 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
Harrisburg has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Health
Harrisburg has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.6% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.2% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
What is the population of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
About 50,287 people live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 22,137 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 31.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 4,239 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 49 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($141,249 against $47,901), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,062 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is 11.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
22.8% of adults in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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