State College, Pennsylvania Population and Demographics

Published: October 1, 2020 8:23 pm

Population, Race and Ethnicity

State College is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, with a population of 42,256. According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, 78.40% of residents identify as white, 4.20% as Black or African American, 0.20% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 11.10% as Asian, 0.10% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 4.30% as Hispanic or Latino, and 1.60% as some other race or combination of races.

Nationally, some 61.1% of Americans identify as white, 12.3% as Black or African American, 0.7% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 5.4% as Asian, 0.2% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 17.8% as Hispanic or Latino, and 2.6% as some other race or combination of races.

Ancestry

Census respondents are also asked to report ancestry. Some of the most commonly reported ancestries in State College include German, Irish, Italian, English, and Polish. Measured by location quotient — comparing the borough share to the national share — some of the most highly concentrated ancestries in borough are Iranian, Nigerian, and New Zealander.

Native and foreign-born population

An estimated 84.60% of State College residents are native-born, meaning they were born in the United States, Puerto Rico, a U.S. Island Area, or abroad to a U.S. citizen. Of the 15.40% of the population that is foreign-born, 20.50% have become naturalized U.S. citizens. Nationwide, 86.5% of Americans are native-born. And of the 13.5% of Americans who are foreign-born, 48.5% have become naturalized U.S. citizens.

Age

The population of State College is younger than the United States as a whole. The median age is 21.5 years, 16.4 years less than the national median age of 37.9 years. An estimated 5.50% of the population is 65 years and over, compared to 15.2% of the U.S. population.

Family and household composition

Family and household composition also varies heavily across the United States. In State College, 22.80% of households are occupied by married-couple families, compared to the 48.3% national figure. Some 2.00% of households are occupied by single male householders, 3.10% by single female householders, and 72.10% by non-family occupants. Nationwide, 4.9% of households are occupied by single male householders, 12.6% by single female householders, and 34.3% by non-family occupants. An estimated 24.20% of heads of household own their homes, compared to the national homeownership rate of 63.8%.

Language spoken

English is by far the most commonly spoken language in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. as a whole. Similarly, in State College, 94.8% of local residents aged 5 and up speak English exclusively, or, if they are multilingual, speak English very well. For context, 95.7% of the 5 and older population across Pennsylvania only speaks English, or speak it very well, and 91.5% of the same age group nationwide do.

Marital status

Residents of State College are less likely than the typical American to be married. Of all local residents aged 15 and older, 16% are currently married, compared to 48.1% of Americans nationwide in the same age group. Across Pennsylvania as a whole, 48.2% of residents 15 and older are married.

Divorce is far less common in State College than it is across the U.S. as a whole. According to Census estimates, 2.6% of residents 15 and older are divorced — compared to 10.8% of the U.S. population in the same age group. In Pennsylvania, 9.6% of the 15 and older population is divorced.

An estimated 79% of State College residents 15 and older have never married, compared to one-third of all Americans in the same age group.

Veterans

In State College, 1.8% of the 18 and older civilian population are veterans — compared to 7.5% of adult civilians nationwide and 7.7% of the civilian population in all of Pennsylvania.

Educational attainment

In State College, adults are more likely to have a high school education than the typical American adult, and are also more likely to have a four-year college education. Among State College residents 25 and older, 98.00% have a high school diploma or equivalent, and 70.40% have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 87.7% and 31.5% of adults nationwide, respectively. Across Pennsylvania, 90.2% of adults have graduated high school, and 30.8 have a bachelor’s degree.

Income

The typical household in State College earns $33,244 a year, about $27,000 less than the national median of $60,293 and $26,200 less than the median household income across the state of $59,445.

Poverty

Serious financial hardship is more common in State College than it is nationwide. The local poverty rate stands at 45.00%, while the national poverty rate is 14.1%. Across the state as a whole, 12.8% of the population lives below the poverty line.

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