McKean County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
McKean 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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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Pennsylvania
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | McKean County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,894 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.5 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.82% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.0 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,364 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in McKean County declined by 8.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,894 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in McKean County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.1% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,783 19.5% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,381 18.5% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,824 22.1% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,257 20.7% +1.7 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 48.6% of the people living in McKean County and men 51.4%.
- Women 48.6% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 51.4% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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100% of everyone living in McKean County
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Economy
McKean County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | McKean County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,476 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.71% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in McKean County is about 19% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | McKean County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $51,225 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $809 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.0% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in McKean County is about 5.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $809 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in McKean County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 133 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | McKean County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.9 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.9 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 133 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,120 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.3% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,341 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 386 | 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 McKean County 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
McKean County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | McKean County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 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
McKean County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | McKean County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.7% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 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).
McKean County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
McKean County, PA is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 39,894 residents against a local median of 47,155. Where McKean County, PA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 47% below the local median of $97,005 at $51,225.
The counties themselves spread $80,196 on median home price, so McKean County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. McKean County, PA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKean County, PA | 39,894 | $63,476 #2/4 | $51,225 #3/4 | 15.9 min #2/4 |
| Elk County, PA | 30,506 | $65,302 | $21,366 | 15.4 min |
| Cattaraugus County, NY | 76,141 | $59,550 | $101,562 | 17.5 min |
| Allegany County, NY | 47,155 | $63,166 | $97,005 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about McKean County, Pennsylvania.
How big is McKean County, Pennsylvania by population?
About 39,894 people live in McKean County, Pennsylvania, in 16,364 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is McKean County, Pennsylvania?
Averaged over its land area, McKean County, Pennsylvania has 41 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in McKean County, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($51,225 against $63,476), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $809 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in McKean County, Pennsylvania?
18.4% of adults in McKean 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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