Bedford County, Pennsylvania Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Bedford County, Pennsylvania, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The estimated population of Bedford County, Pennsylvania is 47,729 people, with a median age of 47.2.

We can look at the total population in Bedford County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
47,729
 -0.88% -2.38%
2020
48,154
 -0.38% -
2019
48,337
 -0.56% -
2018
48,611
 -0.57% -
2017
48,891
 - -

Population of Bedford County, Pennsylvania by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
96.2%
96.9%
 -0.72%
Black/African American
0.7%
0.4%
 +75.00%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
1.3%
1.1%
 +18.18%
Asian
0.3%
0.2%
 +50.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.3%
1.1%
 +18.18%
Other
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Bedford County, Pennsylvania by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 47.2 +0.43% 46.2 +0.87% 47.8 +0.21%
2020 47 +1.08% 45.8 +0.66% 47.7 0%
2019 46.5 +0.65% 45.5 +0.66% 47.7 +0.85%
2018 46.2 +0.65% 45.2 +0.67% 47.3 +0.42%
2017 45.9 - 44.9 - 47.1 -

The median age of Bedford County, Pennsylvania gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 2,627 +0.15% 2,460 +1.02% 2,629 2,484
10 to 19 3,009 -12.89% 2,756 -5.98% 2,638 2,594
20 to 29 2,597 +2.71% 2,361 +3.28% 2,667 2,436
30 to 39 2,343 +9.2% 2,357 +2.5% 2,552 2,415
40 to 49 3,406 -22.61% 3,269 -16.44% 2,689 2,763
50 to 59 3,735 -1.58% 3,712 -4.9% 3,676 3,531
60 to 69 3,409 +4.57% 3,318 +6.82% 3,565 3,548
70+ 3,278 +2.62% 4,254 -1.59% 3,361 4,181

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Bedford County, Pennsylvania is $54,596.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Bedford County.

  • Under 25
    $42,150.00
  • 25 to 44
    $70,948.00
  • 45 to 64
    $68,305.00
  • 65 and over
    $35,057.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Bedford County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Bedford County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Bedford County, Pennsylvania is currently $67,009.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

2.29% of households in Bedford County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Bedford County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    22.03%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    24.72%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.79%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    15.11%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    13.23%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    3.83%
  • $200,000 or more
    2.29%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Bedford County is $28,156.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Bedford County by the total population of Bedford County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Bedford County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    7.69%
  • Bachelor's degree
    14.67%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    7.63%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    67.94%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.07%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Bedford County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Bedford County over the age of 16 is 39,643.

Of those people, a total of 57.80% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Bedford County is 55.10%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 2,259 50.60% 6.20%
20 to 24 years 2,500 83.00% 9.10%
25 to 29 years 2,603 81.90% 4.20%
30 to 34 years 2,303 86.40% 5.00%
35 to 44 years 5,006 84.50% 4.60%
45 to 54 years 6,535 82.70% 3.60%
55 to 59 years 3,782 66.20% 4.20%
60 to 64 years 3,870 55.00% 5.30%
65 to 74 years 5,926 19.10% 2.60%
75 years and over 4,859 4.00% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Bedford County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 38,622 57.70% 4.60%
Black or African American 228 74.60% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 39 25.60% 0.00%
Asian 128 64.80% 31.30%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 88 80.70% 0.00%
Two or more races 538 59.50% 11.90%
Hispanic or Latino 440 54.50% 4.20%
Not Hispanic or Latino 38,410 57.70% 4.60%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Bedford County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Bedford County is 21,846, with median earnings of $34,480.00.

Women in Bedford County, Pennsylvania earning approximately 61.70% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 21,846 $34,480.00
Male 12,092 $42,328.00
Female 9,754 $26,119.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 2,114 $45,857.00
Business and Financial 386 $49,018.00
Computer and Mathematical 215 $86,563.00
Architecture and Engineering 322 $71,111.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 140 $50,764.00
Community and Social Service 498 $38,323.00
Legal 55 $74,125.00
Educational and Library 1,024 $40,769.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 177 $29,375.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,402 $49,462.00
Healthcare Support 779 $25,572.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 64 $24,000.00
Law Enforcement 275 $65,594.00
Food Preparation and Serving 1,239 $11,021.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 901 $19,081.00
Personal Care and Service 474 $14,554.00
Sales 1,896 $22,990.00
Office and Administrative Support 2,333 $28,263.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 297 $20,284.00
Construction and Extraction 1,652 $44,286.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 858 $42,337.00
Production 1,916 $36,476.00
Transportation and Material Moving 1,446 $42,143.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 1,373 $52,898.00 741 $43,520.00
Business and Financial 201 $49,517.00 185 $47,188.00
Computer and Mathematical 183 $93,125.00 32 $74,375.00
Architecture and Engineering 308 $72,500.00 14 $57,188.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 109 $51,128.00 31 $34,191.00
Community and Social Service 131 $41,023.00 367 $38,083.00
Legal 37 $74,375.00 18 $48,750.00
Educational and Library 197 $65,662.00 827 $26,964.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 116 $32,976.00 61 $21,964.00
Healthcare Practitioners 181 $43,750.00 1,221 $49,509.00
Healthcare Support 30 $16,250.00 749 $25,657.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 61 $23,850.00 3 $0.00
Law Enforcement 240 $66,230.00 35 $45,813.00
Food Preparation and Serving 376 $7,370.00 863 $12,515.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 584 $30,068.00 317 $12,250.00
Personal Care and Service 85 $14,219.00 389 $14,688.00
Sales 893 $44,650.00 1,003 $14,984.00
Office and Administrative Support 523 $36,850.00 1,810 $27,554.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 238 $20,833.00 59 $12,321.00
Construction and Extraction 1,638 $44,286.00 14 $47,500.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 849 $42,310.00 9 $0.00
Production 1,413 $41,180.00 503 $25,902.00
Transportation and Material Moving 1,269 $46,655.00 177 $14,076.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 19,334 households in Bedford County, with an average household size of 2.44 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 12,690 families in Bedford County with an average family size of 3.04 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 10,629 846 1,215 6,644
Average Household Size 3.08 3.46 3.19 1.15
Total Families 10,629 846 1,215 0
Average Household Size 3.05 3.04 2.99 0

Poverty

Of the 12,690 families in Bedford County, 6.70% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Bedford County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 23,573 housing units in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 19,334 82.02%
Vacant 4,239 17.98%

13.88% of the total 23,573 housing units in Bedford County are rental units. This is approximately 3,273 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 15,345 are occupied by the owner - or 65.10% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Bedford County is $693.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Bedford County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    716
  • Less than $500
    785
  • $500 to $999
    2,047
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    321
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    44
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    62
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    4
  • $3,000 or more
    10

Property Value

The median value of a property in Bedford County is $147,200.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Bedford County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    1,511
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    3,019
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    3,323
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2,711
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    2,772
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    1,299
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    582
  • $1,000,000 or more
    128

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Bedford County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Bedford County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    6,512
  • 1940 to 1949
    1,025
  • 1950 to 1959
    2,212
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,738
  • 1970 to 1979
    3,496
  • 1980 to 1989
    2,737
  • 1990 to 1999
    2,827
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,000
  • 2010 to 2013
    995
  • 2014 or later
    31

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Bedford County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    972
  • 1 vehicle available
    5,399
  • 2 vehicles available
    6,987
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    5,976

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Bedford County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Bedford County that commute to work in a particular way.

26.5 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Bedford County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    1,085
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,799
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    2,910
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    2,989
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    2,985
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    1,310
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    2,482
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    679
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    684
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    1,301
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    1,100
  • 90 or more minutes
    777

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Bedford County, Pennsylvania in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Bedford County, Pennsylvania

We have data for 28 places in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.