Ranking of Pennsylvania Cities and Places By Poverty Rate in 2021 (ACS-5Yrs)
Based on the US Census ACS-5Yrs estimates, in 2021, the Poverty Rate for Pennsylvania was 11.8%. Among all Pennsylvania cities and places with a population of at least 10K, State College borough had the highest poverty rate (43.41%), followed by Johnstown city (33.7%), and Reading city (29.35%). On the other hand, the following 3 cities and places had the lowest poverty rate: Montgomeryville CDP (2.76%), Franklin Park borough (2.92%), and Jefferson Hills borough (3.03%).
The chart below shows the top 10 Pennsylvania cities and places with a population of 10K+ and a high poverty rate, and the table below shows the ranking of all Pennsylvania cities and places with a population of 10K+.
You can also see similar ranking of cities and places for other states as well as for the whole United States.
| Rank | City | Poverty Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State College borough | 43.41 |
| 2 | Johnstown city | 33.70 |
| 3 | Reading city | 29.35 |
| 4 | York city | 28.69 |
| 5 | Chester city | 28.54 |
| 6 | Harrisburg city | 28.24 |
| 7 | Indiana borough | 28.23 |
| 8 | Bloomsburg town | 28.10 |
| 9 | Darby borough | 27.72 |
| 10 | McKeesport city | 27.41 |
| 11 | Coatesville city | 26.83 |
| 12 | New Castle city | 26.17 |
| 13 | Lebanon city | 25.27 |
| 14 | Erie city | 24.75 |
| 15 | Williamsport city | 24.43 |
| 16 | Butler city | 23.85 |
| 17 | Hazleton city | 23.59 |
| 18 | Wilkinsburg borough | 23.43 |
| 19 | Allentown city | 23.29 |
| 20 | Sharon city | 23.06 |
| 21 | New Kensington city | 22.91 |
| 22 | Philadelphia city | 22.82 |
| 23 | West Chester borough | 22.13 |
| 24 | Pottsville city | 20.61 |
| 25 | Wilkes-Barre city | 20.38 |
| 26 | Altoona city | 20.27 |
| 27 | Scranton city | 20.10 |
| 28 | Pittsburgh city | 19.74 |
| 29 | Meadville city | 19.62 |
| 30 | Washington city | 19.58 |
| 31 | Berwick borough | 19.23 |
| 32 | Lancaster city | 19.15 |
| 33 | Easton city | 17.61 |
| 34 | Nanticoke city | 17.36 |
| 35 | Norristown borough | 17.13 |
| 36 | Bethlehem city | 16.79 |
| 37 | Columbia borough | 16.29 |
| 38 | Kingston borough | 16.19 |
| 39 | Greensburg city | 15.89 |
| 40 | Colonial Park CDP | 15.64 |
| 41 | Carlisle borough | 15.48 |
| 42 | Pottstown borough | 15.37 |
| 43 | Waynesboro borough | 14.46 |
| 44 | West Mifflin borough | 13.87 |
| 45 | Chambersburg borough | 13.49 |
| 46 | Hanover borough | 13.06 |
| 47 | Phoenixville borough | 12.46 |
| 48 | Munhall borough | 12.33 |
| 49 | Hermitage city | 12.03 |
| 50 | Lansdowne borough | 11.41 |
| 51 | Fullerton CDP | 10.74 |
| 52 | Northampton borough | 10.70 |
| 53 | Progress CDP | 10.36 |
| 54 | Elizabethtown borough | 9.92 |
| 55 | Whitehall borough | 9.76 |
| 56 | Ephrata borough | 9.71 |
| 57 | Dunmore borough | 9.19 |
| 58 | Yeadon borough | 8.78 |
| 59 | Hershey CDP | 8.74 |
| 59 | St. Marys city | 8.74 |
| 60 | Monroeville municipality | 8.55 |
| 61 | Drexel Hill CDP | 8.43 |
| 62 | Woodlyn CDP | 8.16 |
| 63 | Lansdale borough | 8.07 |
| 64 | Baldwin borough | 7.44 |
| 65 | Emmaus borough | 6.77 |
| 66 | Roslyn CDP | 6.48 |
| 67 | Levittown CDP | 6.33 |
| 68 | Weigelstown CDP | 6.08 |
| 69 | Willow Grove CDP | 5.93 |
| 70 | Shiloh CDP | 5.67 |
| 71 | Ardmore CDP | 5.59 |
| 72 | Lower Burrell city | 5.38 |
| 73 | Wyomissing borough | 4.99 |
| 74 | Mountain Top CDP | 4.86 |
| 75 | Bethel Park municipality | 4.07 |
| 76 | Carnot-Moon CDP | 4.02 |
| 77 | Broomall CDP | 3.88 |
| 78 | Horsham CDP | 3.81 |
| 79 | King of Prussia CDP | 3.71 |
| 80 | Allison Park CDP | 3.64 |
| 81 | Plum borough | 3.56 |
| 82 | Murrysville municipality | 3.37 |
| 83 | Jefferson Hills borough | 3.03 |
| 84 | Franklin Park borough | 2.92 |
| 85 | Montgomeryville CDP | 2.76 |