State College, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
State College, 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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A
Health Above average
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F
Income Well below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | State College | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,018 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8959.1 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.30% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 21.0 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,208 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in State College grew by 4.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 41,018 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in State College is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 72.7% of residents. That is 52.6 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 29,822 72.7% +52.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,067 9.9% -11.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,509 6.1% -14.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,362 5.8% -13.3 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 48.1% of the people living in State College and men 51.9%.
- Women 48.1% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 51.9% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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100% of everyone living in State College
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Economy
State College has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | State College | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,182 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.73% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in State College is about 42% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | State College | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $37,500 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,272 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 26.1% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in State College is about 2.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,272 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in State College spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 109 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | State College | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.1 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.2 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 109 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,385 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.3% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,287 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,193 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in State College is 13 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
State College has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | State College | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.9% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Health
State College has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | State College | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.2% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.6% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about State College, Pennsylvania.
How many people live in State College, Pennsylvania?
About 41,018 people live in State College, Pennsylvania, in 11,208 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 21.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
How densely populated is State College, Pennsylvania?
Averaged over its land area, State College, Pennsylvania has 8,959 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 104 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in State College, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($37,500 against $45,182), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,272 a month takes about 34% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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