St. Marys, PA

City in Elk County, PA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

12,529

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

Median Age

51.6

years ∙ half population younger than 51.6, half older

Diversity Index

11.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.4%

foreign-born population

98.6%Native

1.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

St. Marys is a city within Elk County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Location

City in Elk County, PA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC41.455038° N, 78.520190° W

DMS41° 27′ 18.14″ N, 78° 31′ 12.68″ W

Population Density & area

126.2/sq mi (48.71/km²)

Total Area

99.5 sq mi (257.7 km²)

Land Area

99.3 sq mi (257.2 km²) · 99.81%

Water Area

0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²) · 0.19%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.6% male

Male 48.6%

Female 51.4%

males per 100 females

St. Marys 94.7

Elk County 104

Pennsylvania 97.2

Nativity

1.4%

foreign-born population

98.6%Native

1.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

St. Marys 1.4%

Elk County 1.1%

Pennsylvania 7.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

51.6

years ∙ half population younger than 51.6, half older

St. Marys

51.6

Elk County

48.4

Pennsylvania

40.9

Dependency ratio

76.3

dependents per 100 working-age adults

St. Marys 76.3

Elk County 75.8

Pennsylvania 66.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	16.5%	19%	20.4%
Working age (18-64)	56.7%	56.9%	60.1%
Senior (65+)	26.8%	24.1%	19.5%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	76.3	75.8	66.4
Child dependency ratio	29.1	33.3	34
Old-age dependency ratio	47.2	42.4	32.4

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

93.8%

Black

1.3%

Asian

0.2%

Hispanic

1.6%

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

11.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

St. Marys 11.9%

Elk County 10.6%

Pennsylvania 44.6%

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 St. Marys population

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Hispanic or Latino	1.6%	1%	8.7%
Mexican	0.5%	0.4%	1.4%
Puerto Rican	0.5%	0.3%	3.7%
Cuban	0.4%	0.2%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.2%	0.2%	3.4%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.4%	99%	91.3%
One race	95.3%	95.6%	87.7%
White	93.8%	94.5%	73%
Black or African American	1.3%	0.6%	10.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0%	0.1%
Asian	0.2%	0.4%	3.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0%	0%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.1%	3.4%	3.6%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

60.8% family

Family 60.8%

Non family 39.2%

% family households

St. Marys 60.8%

Elk County 62.1%

Pennsylvania 62.4%

Average household size

2.15

persons per household

St. Marys

2.15

Elk County

2.27

Pennsylvania

2.39

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of St. Marys population

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Total households	5,692	13,325	5,274,853
Average houshold size	2.15	2.27	2.39
Family households	3,461	8,274	3,291,192
Average family size	2.76	2.89	3.01
Married couple family	2,692	6,421	2,437,812
Other families	769	1,853	853,380
Male householder	312	704	246,246
Female householder	457	1,149	607,134
Non-family households	2,231	5,051	1,983,661
One-person households	2,013	4,553	1,629,974
Male householder	956	2,258	733,485
Senior (65+) living alone	307	862	246,162
Female householder	1,057	2,295	896,489
Senior (65+) living alone	614	1,327	477,851
Other living arrangements	218	498	353,687

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

6,300

housing units

St. Marys 6,300

Elk County 16,880

Pennsylvania 5,806,452

Occupancy status

90.3% occupied

Occupied 90.3%

Vacant 9.7%

vacancy rate

St. Marys 9.7%

Elk County 21.1%

Pennsylvania 9.2%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

82.7%

Single family houses

82.7%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

14%

Mobile homes

3.2%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1961

Half of houses were built before 1961, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

20.7%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

42.2%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

31.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

5.5%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.1	5.9	6
1–3 rooms	11.2%	13.4%	11.7%
4–6 rooms	47.9%	49%	47.7%
7+ rooms	40.7%	37.4%	40.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.9%	2.2%	2.3%
1 bedroom	11.4%	11.2%	10.4%
2 bedrooms	17.1%	21.5%	22.5%
3 bedrooms	53.3%	49%	42.3%
4+ bedrooms	16.3%	16.2%	22.6%
At a glance
Median year built	1961	1960	1966
Total housing units	6,300	16,880	5,806,452

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

77.6% owners

Renter-occupied 22.4%

Owner-occupied 77.6%

homeownership rate

St. Marys 77.6%

Elk County 79.5%

Pennsylvania 69.3%

Average household size

2.32

Owner-occupied

1.58

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

St. Marys 2.32

Elk County 2.4

Pennsylvania 2.53

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Total occupied units	5,692	13,325	5,274,853
Year moved in
2020 or later	14%	13.6%	20.2%
2010 to 2019	28.1%	29.1%	36.1%
2000 to 2009	13.7%	15.2%	17.5%
1999 or earlier	44.1%	42%	26.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.1%	99.4%	98.4%
1.01 to 1.50	0.2%	0.1%	1%
1.51 or more	0.7%	0.4%	0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	8.7%	6.3%	10.4%
1 vehicle	33.5%	34.2%	35.1%
2 vehicles	37%	37%	35.9%
3 or more vehicles	20.8%	22.5%	18.6%
House heating fuel used
Gas	79.5%	75.6%	56.4%
Electricity	15.6%	14.2%	25.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.3%	4%	14%
All other fuels	3.4%	5.8%	3.7%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.4%	0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.3%	0.2%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.3%	0.4%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.9%	0.6%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$149,000

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

St. Marys

$149,000

Elk County

$133,600

Pennsylvania

$254,500

Housing Cost Burden

14.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

14.5%

Owners without a mortgage

4.4%

Renters

46.2%

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

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Property value
Median Value	$149,000	$133,600	$254,500
Under $100,000	23.8%	35.8%	13.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	42.5%	34.7%	22.4%
$200,000 - $300,000	21.9%	17.5%	22.9%
$300,000 - $500,000	8.4%	9.3%	25.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	3.4%	2.4%	12.8%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.4%	2.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	40.1%	40.5%	58%
Without a mortgage	59.9%	59.5%	42%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,142	$1,139	$1,762
Without a mortgage	$489	$479	$644
Gross rent
Median rent	$762	$719	$1,209

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

21.4%

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

St. Marys 21.4%

Elk County 20.6%

Pennsylvania 35.2%

Adults without a high school diploma

4.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

St. Marys 4.8%

Elk County 5.7%

Pennsylvania 7.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,047

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

17%

K–12

69.2%

College / Undergraduate

11%

Graduate / Professional

2.8%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

27.1%

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

St. Marys

27.1%

Elk County

28.6%

Pennsylvania

44%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,047	5,790	2,913,513
Nursery / preschool	17%	10.1%	5.7%
K–12	69.2%	75.2%	66.9%
Kindergarten	8.6%	5.5%	4.8%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	15.3%	18.5%	19.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	16.4%	22.1%	20.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	28.9%	29.1%	21.7%
College or graduate school	13.9%	14.7%	27.4%
College, undergraduate	11%	11.2%	21.2%
Graduate, professional school	2.8%	3.5%	6.2%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	27.1%	28.6%	44%
School type
Public school	77.4%	83.3%	75.3%
Private school	22.6%	16.7%	24.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

9,603

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

0.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

3.9%

HS graduate

49.1%

Some college no degree

13.2%

Associates degree

11.5%

Bachelors degree

13.8%

Graduate or professional degree

7.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

22.5% · 77.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

55.1% · 44.9%

HS graduate

50.9% · 49.1%

Some college no degree

54.1% · 45.9%

Associates degree

49.5% · 50.5%

Bachelors degree

52.3% · 47.7%

Graduate or professional degree

41.9% · 58.1%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Population (25+)	9,603	22,648	9,189,697
Less than 9th grade	0.9%	1.7%	2.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.9%	4%	5%
High school diploma or GED	49.1%	47.9%	32.9%
Some college, no degree	13.2%	13.5%	15.1%
Associate's degree	11.5%	12.3%	8.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.4%	20.6%	35.2%
Bachelor's degree	13.8%	12.9%	20.9%
Graduate or professional	7.5%	7.7%	14.3%
High School or higher	95.2%	94.3%	92.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$42,487

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$25,444

HS graduate

$36,377

Some college or associates

$45,838

Bachelors degree

$50,515

Graduate or professional degree

$55,536

Poverty Rate

2.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

10.5%

HS graduate

6.3%

Some college or associates

9.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	St. Marys	Elk County	Pennsylvania
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$42,487	$43,853	$53,549
Less than high school graduate	$25,444	$33,594	$33,591
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$36,377	$38,365	$40,643
Some college or associate's degree	$45,838	$46,954	$47,736
Bachelor's degree	$50,515	$57,844	$69,335
Graduate or professional degree	$55,536	$61,098	$87,132
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	10.5%	15.1%	25.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	6.3%	8.2%	13.3%
Some college or associate's degree	9.2%	8.7%	9.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.7%	3.1%	4.1%

Insights for St. Marys, 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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