Northumberland County, Pennsylvania

County in PA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

90,560

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

44.5

years ∙ half population younger than 44.5, half older

Diversity Index

20.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.6%

foreign-born population

98.4%Native

1.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Northumberland County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States.

Location

County in PA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC40.851524° N, 76.709877° W

DMS40° 51′ 05.49″ N, 76° 42′ 35.56″ W

Population Density & area

197.9/sq mi (76.4/km²)

Total Area

477.3 sq mi (1,236 km²)

Land Area

457.7 sq mi (1,185.4 km²) · 95.9%

Water Area

19.6 sq mi (50.6 km²) · 4.1%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51% male

Male 51%

Female 49%

males per 100 females

Northumberland County 103.9

Pennsylvania 97.2

United States 98

Nativity

1.6%

foreign-born population

98.4%Native

1.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Northumberland County 1.6%

Pennsylvania 7.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

44.5

years ∙ half population younger than 44.5, half older

Northumberland County

44.5

Pennsylvania

40.9

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

72.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Northumberland County 72.4

Pennsylvania 66.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.7%	20.4%	22%
Working age (18-64)	58%	60.1%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	22.3%	19.5%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	72.4	66.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	33.9	34	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	38.5	32.4	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

88.7%

Black

2.6%

Asian

0.4%

Hispanic

5.2%

Other

3.1%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

20.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Northumberland County 20.9%

Pennsylvania 44.6%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Northumberland County population

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Hispanic or Latino	5.2%	8.7%	19.3%
Mexican	0.9%	1.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	2.5%	3.7%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.7%	3.4%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.8%	91.3%	80.7%
One race	92.2%	87.7%	76.4%
White	88.7%	73%	57.4%
Black or African American	2.6%	10.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	0.4%	3.8%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.5%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.6%	3.6%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

62.5% family

Family 62.5%

Non family 37.5%

% family households

Northumberland County 62.5%

Pennsylvania 62.4%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.29

persons per household

Northumberland County

2.29

Pennsylvania

2.39

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Northumberland County population

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Total households	37,886	5,274,853	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.29	2.39	2.53
Family households	23,678	3,291,192	82,990,528
Average family size	2.86	3.01	3.14
Married couple family	17,568	2,437,812	60,637,388
Other families	6,110	853,380	22,353,140
Male householder	2,397	246,246	6,572,819
Female householder	3,713	607,134	15,780,321
Non-family households	14,208	1,983,661	46,236,968
One-person households	12,124	1,629,974	37,140,836
Male householder	5,727	733,485	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	2,189	246,162	5,225,110
Female householder	6,397	896,489	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	4,009	477,851	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	2,084	353,687	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

43,395

housing units

Northumberland County 43,395

Pennsylvania 5,806,452

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

87.3% occupied

Occupied 87.3%

Vacant 12.7%

vacancy rate

Northumberland County 12.7%

Pennsylvania 9.2%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

82.5%

Single family houses

82.5%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

13.5%

Mobile homes

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1957

Half of houses were built before 1957, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

38.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

25.2%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

28.1%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

8.6%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.3	6	5.5
1–3 rooms	6.8%	11.7%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	48%	47.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	45.2%	40.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.2%	2.3%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.4%	10.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	21.6%	22.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	47.8%	42.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	21%	22.6%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1957	1966	1981
Total housing units	43,395	5,806,452	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

75.5% owners

Renter-occupied 24.5%

Owner-occupied 75.5%

homeownership rate

Northumberland County 75.5%

Pennsylvania 69.3%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.38

Owner-occupied

2.04

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Northumberland County 2.38

Pennsylvania 2.53

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Total occupied units	37,886	5,274,853	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	17%	20.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	33%	36.1%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.4%	17.5%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	32.6%	26.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.1%	98.4%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.5%	1%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.4%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	9.2%	10.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	34.9%	35.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	34.5%	35.9%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	21.3%	18.6%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	31.9%	56.4%	51.4%
Electricity	29.8%	25.3%	41.3%
Solar	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	29.4%	14%	3.9%
All other fuels	8.3%	3.7%	2%
No fuel used	0.5%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.3%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.7%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.8%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$162,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Northumberland County

$162,400

Pennsylvania

$254,500

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.5%

Owners without a mortgage

12.4%

Renters

42.6%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Property value
Median Value	$162,400	$254,500	$332,700
Under $100,000	32.6%	13.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	26.9%	22.4%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	24%	22.9%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	13.1%	25.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	2.9%	12.8%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.5%	2.1%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	50.5%	58%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	49.5%	42%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,300	$1,762	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$537	$644	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$806	$1,209	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

19.4%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Northumberland County 19.4%

Pennsylvania 35.2%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.7%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Northumberland County 9.7%

Pennsylvania 7.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

16,891

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

3.7%

K–12

79.6%

College / Undergraduate

13.9%

Graduate / Professional

2.8%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

24.6%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Northumberland County

24.6%

Pennsylvania

44%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	16,891	2,913,513	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	3.7%	5.7%	5.7%
K–12	79.6%	66.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.2%	4.8%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.8%	19.7%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	24.4%	20.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	26.2%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	16.7%	27.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	13.9%	21.2%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.8%	6.2%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	24.6%	44%	40.9%
School type
Public school	80.6%	75.3%	82%
Private school	19.4%	24.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

66,545

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

7.3%

HS graduate

47%

Some college no degree

15%

Associates degree

8.9%

Bachelors degree

13.4%

Graduate or professional degree

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

57.6% · 42.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

54.1% · 45.9%

HS graduate

53.4% · 46.6%

Some college no degree

51.9% · 48.1%

Associates degree

48.7% · 51.3%

Bachelors degree

42.3% · 57.7%

Graduate or professional degree

40.8% · 59.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Population (25+)	66,545	9,189,697	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.4%	2.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	7.3%	5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	47%	32.9%	26%
Some college, no degree	15%	15.1%	19.1%
Associate's degree	8.9%	8.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.4%	35.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	13.4%	20.9%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	6%	14.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	90.3%	92.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$45,127

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$31,421

HS graduate

$37,714

Some college or associates

$44,670

Bachelors degree

$63,764

Graduate or professional degree

$79,854

Poverty Rate

3.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

24.7%

HS graduate

13.7%

Some college or associates

8.5%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$45,127	$53,549	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$31,421	$33,591	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$37,714	$40,643	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$44,670	$47,736	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$63,764	$69,335	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$79,854	$87,132	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	24.7%	25.2%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	13.7%	13.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	8.5%	9.1%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.5%	4.1%	4.5%

Insights for Northumberland County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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