Penn Forest, Carbon County, Pennsylvania Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Penn Forest, 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 Penn Forest, Pennsylvania. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Penn Forest, Pennsylvania. The estimated population of Penn Forest, Pennsylvania is 9,921 people, with a median age of 49.1.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
9,921
+2.69%
+3.46%
2020
9,661
+0.36%
-
2019
9,626
+0.06%
-
2018
9,620
+0.32%
-
2017
9,589
- -

Population of Penn Forest, 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
82.5%
86.7%
-4.84%
Black/African American
5.6%
6.2%
-9.68%
Native
0%
0%
0.00%
Hispanic
6.7%
6.5%
+3.08%
Asian
2%
0.4%
+400.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.1%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.9%
0%
0.00%
Other
0.3%
0%
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 Penn Forest, 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 49.1 +0.61% 48.7 +4.51% 49.5 -4.99%
2020 48.8 +6.32% 46.6 +3.56% 52.1 +11.56%
2019 45.9 -0.65% 45 -2.17% 46.7 -0.85%
2018 46.2 +1.99% 46 +7.23% 47.1 -0.21%
2017 45.3 - 42.9 - 47.2 -

The median age of Penn Forest, 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 9 783 -72.18% 405 -5.44% 327 369
10 to 19 758 +7.61% 561 +6.7% 773 580
20 to 29 345 9.7% 392 3.37% 331 363
30 to 39 417 -10.09% 486 -1.65% 352 454
40 to 49 637 +33.06% 668 +10.93% 820 723
50 to 59 811 -6.03% 915 -22.32% 753 722
60 to 69 744 +30.98% 748 +36.94% 998 1,035
70+ 420 +64.49% 499 +26.6% 691 630

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Penn Forest, Pennsylvania is $67,772.00.

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 Penn Forest.

  • Under 25
    $0.00
  • 25 to 44
    $73,142.00
  • 45 to 64
    $83,833.00
  • 65 and over
    $56,189.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Penn Forest, 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 Penn Forest, Pennsylvania is currently $81,925.00.

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.

2.70% of households in Penn Forest 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 Penn Forest against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    11.79%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    17.59%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    25.98%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.26%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    21.50%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.18%
  • $200,000 or more
    2.70%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Penn Forest is $33,420.00.

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

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

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Penn Forest 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
    11.43%
  • Bachelor's degree
    22.97%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.05%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    51.44%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.09%

Employment

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

The total population of Penn Forest over the age of 16 is 8,346.

Of those people, a total of 56.20% 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 Penn Forest is 53.40%.

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 474 37.30% 11.30%
20 to 24 years 442 83.00% 10.10%
25 to 29 years 252 73.80% 0.00%
30 to 34 years 379 97.10% 3.80%
35 to 44 years 1,150 73.20% 1.70%
45 to 54 years 1,648 79.30% 9.20%
55 to 59 years 647 75.10% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 1,161 55.20% 1.40%
65 to 74 years 1,549 17.20% 4.10%
75 years and over 644 7.60% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Penn Forest. 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 7,156 53.10% 4.70%
Black or African American 434 70.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 196 66.30% 35.40%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 11 100.00% 0.00%
Other 81 28.40% 0.00%
Two or more races 468 90.00% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 582 70.30% 2.20%
Not Hispanic or Latino 6,916 52.80% 4.60%

Occupations

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

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Penn Forest is 4,456, with median earnings of $36,947.00.

Women in Penn Forest, Pennsylvania earning approximately 61.60% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 4,456 $36,947.00
Male 2,297 $47,835.00
Female 2,159 $29,473.00

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 322 $72,572.00
Business and Financial 159 $76,318.00
Computer and Mathematical 105 $37,303.00
Architecture and Engineering 15 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 101 $0.00
Community and Social Service 83 $41,653.00
Legal 27 $0.00
Educational and Library 321 $77,891.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 124 $9,879.00
Healthcare Practitioners 275 $46,125.00
Healthcare Support 144 $17,273.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 46 $35,645.00
Law Enforcement 48 $78,229.00
Food Preparation and Serving 259 $9,282.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 114 $35,776.00
Personal Care and Service 149 $12,036.00
Sales 497 $26,806.00
Office and Administrative Support 559 $43,405.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 173 $55,508.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 146 $50,000.00
Production 313 $19,035.00
Transportation and Material Moving 356 $36,413.00

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 204 $74,397.00 118 $41,210.00
Business and Financial 76 $120,303.00 83 $49,464.00
Computer and Mathematical 86 $37,105.00 19 $103,438.00
Architecture and Engineering 15 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 58 $0.00 43 $0.00
Community and Social Service 41 $61,875.00 42 $40,806.00
Legal 0 $0.00 27 $0.00
Educational and Library 84 $0.00 237 $29,607.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 32 $0.00 92 $9,355.00
Healthcare Practitioners 37 $96,635.00 238 $39,655.00
Healthcare Support 29 $0.00 115 $16,723.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 46 $35,645.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 48 $78,229.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 77 $20,649.00 182 $8,564.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 84 $36,638.00 30 $23,438.00
Personal Care and Service 32 $0.00 117 $11,391.00
Sales 242 $13,929.00 255 $28,084.00
Office and Administrative Support 195 $21,754.00 364 $45,877.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 173 $55,508.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 146 $50,000.00 0 $0.00
Production 240 $19,706.00 73 $2,499.00
Transportation and Material Moving 273 $43,516.00 83 $20,425.00

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 3,996 households in Penn Forest, with an average household size of 2.47 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 2,919 families in Penn Forest with an average family size of 2.9 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 2,337 247 335 1,077
Average Household Size 2.8 3.51 3.7 1.14
Total Families 2,337 247 335 0
Average Household Size 2.79 3.26 3.45 0

Poverty

Of the 2,919 families in Penn Forest, 4.90% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Penn Forest:

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 7,055 housing units in Penn Forest, Pennsylvania.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 3,996 56.64%
Vacant 3,059 43.36%

7.34% of the total 7,055 housing units in Penn Forest are rental units. This is approximately 518 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,468 are occupied by the owner - or 49.16% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Penn Forest is $1,142.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Penn Forest 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
    10
  • Less than $500
    9
  • $500 to $999
    165
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    232
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    99
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    13
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Penn Forest is $186,500.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    79
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    335
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    528
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,043
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    929
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    427
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    127
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    202
  • 1940 to 1949
    13
  • 1950 to 1959
    40
  • 1960 to 1969
    209
  • 1970 to 1979
    704
  • 1980 to 1989
    2,087
  • 1990 to 1999
    1,576
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,846
  • 2010 to 2013
    378
  • 2014 or later
    0

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 Penn Forest that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    62
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,405
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,478
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,051

Commuting to Work

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

40.3 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Penn Forest.

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
    13
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    113
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    149
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    209
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    545
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    184
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    348
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    161
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    375
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    780
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    496
  • 90 or more minutes
    205

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Penn Forest, 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.