Potter County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Potter 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 averageLess healthy than 83% of counties in Pennsylvania
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Pennsylvania
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 83% of counties in Pennsylvania
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Potter County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,191 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 15.0 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.78% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.1 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,993 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Potter County declined by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,191 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Potter County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.0% of residents. That is 5.9 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,808 17.3% -2.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,638 16.3% -4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,499 21.6% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,041 25.0% +5.9 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 49.9% of the people living in Potter County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 50.1% Pennsylvania 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Potter County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Potter County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Potter County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,453 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.83% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Potter County is about 24% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Potter County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $69,994 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $809 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Potter County is about 7.2 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 Potter County 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 | Potter County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.8 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,605 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.7% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 489 | 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 Potter County 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
Potter County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Potter County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.0% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 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
Potter County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Potter County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.8% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.3% | 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).
Potter County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Potter County, PA is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 16,191 residents against a local median of 40,419. Where Potter County, PA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 46% below the local median of $128,629 at $69,994.
The counties themselves spread $116,934 on median home price, so Potter County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Potter County, PA has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potter County, PA | 16,191 | $59,453 #5/5 | $69,994 #4/5 | 17.8 min #3/5 |
| Allegany County, NY | 47,155 | $63,166 | $97,005 | 18.3 min |
| Clinton County, PA | 37,796 | $60,839 | $160,252 | 17.6 min |
| Tioga County, PA | 40,945 | $64,575 | $168,160 | 21.0 min |
| McKean County, PA | 39,894 | $63,476 | $51,225 | 15.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Potter County, Pennsylvania.
How many people live in Potter County, Pennsylvania?
About 16,191 people live in Potter County, Pennsylvania, in 6,993 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 46.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Potter County, Pennsylvania mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Potter County, Pennsylvania has 15 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 17% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Potter County, Pennsylvania an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($69,994 against $59,453), 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 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Potter County, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Potter County, Pennsylvania is only 3.8%, 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 Potter County, Pennsylvania have a college degree?
16.0% of adults in Potter 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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