Fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania

Written by:
February 23, 2021
Michael Barera // Wikimedia Commons

Fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania

From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.

But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.

A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community” (a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city. These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds. Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.

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Joe Calzarette // Wikimedia Commons

#30. Huntingdon County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -461
--- #2,274 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -1.0%
--- #29 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,774 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 45,369
--- #48 largest county in Pennsylvania, #1,065 largest county nationwide
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Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#29. Fulton County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -333
--- #2,108 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -2.2%
--- #37 among counties in Pennsylvania, #2,057 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 14,506
--- #64 largest county in Pennsylvania, #2,126 largest county nationwide
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Nicholas // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Sullivan County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -332
--- #2,106 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -5.1%
--- #57 among counties in Pennsylvania, #2,641 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 6,135
--- #66 largest county in Pennsylvania, #2,740 largest county nationwide
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Pubdog // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Mifflin County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -307
--- #2,070 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.7%
--- #28 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,708 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 46,276
--- #46 largest county in Pennsylvania, #1,044 largest county nationwide
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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Forest County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -272
--- #2,013 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -3.6%
--- #47 among counties in Pennsylvania, #2,355 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 7,313
--- #65 largest county in Pennsylvania, #2,639 largest county nationwide
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Canva

#25. Clinton County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -55
--- #1,637 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.1%
--- #26 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,584 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 38,915
--- #56 largest county in Pennsylvania, #1,204 largest county nationwide
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Nicholas // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Monroe County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: -48
--- #1,625 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: 0.0%
--- #24 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,564 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 168,032
--- #20 largest county in Pennsylvania, #385 largest county nationwide
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Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Montour County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +107
--- #1,425 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.6%
--- #21 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,445 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 18,259
--- #62 largest county in Pennsylvania, #1,908 largest county nationwide
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Generic1139 // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Washington County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +225
--- #1,324 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.1%
--- #23 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,539 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 207,212
--- #18 largest county in Pennsylvania, #321 largest county nationwide
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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Juniata County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +239
--- #1,307 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.0%
--- #19 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,377 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 24,624
--- #61 largest county in Pennsylvania, #1,620 largest county nationwide
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Ruhrfisch (talk) // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Union County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +245
--- #1,302 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.5%
--- #22 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,452 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 45,111
--- #49 largest county in Pennsylvania, #1,071 largest county nationwide
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Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Perry County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +454
--- #1,179 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.0%
--- #18 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,373 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 46,053
--- #47 largest county in Pennsylvania, #1,049 largest county nationwide
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Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Snyder County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,083
--- #954 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.7%
--- #13 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,093 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 40,483
--- #54 largest county in Pennsylvania, #1,166 largest county nationwide
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Pixabay

#17. Adams County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,631
--- #836 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.6%
--- #16 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,268 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 102,470
--- #31 largest county in Pennsylvania, #593 largest county nationwide
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Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Bucks County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +3,947
--- #595 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.6%
--- #20 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,436 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 626,806
--- #4 largest county in Pennsylvania, #106 largest county nationwide
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Mvincec // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Butler County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +4,345
--- #572 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.4%
--- #15 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,149 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 186,899
--- #19 largest county in Pennsylvania, #349 largest county nationwide
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Canva

#14. Franklin County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +7,589
--- #455 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.2%
--- #7 among counties in Pennsylvania, #783 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 154,147
--- #23 largest county in Pennsylvania, #426 largest county nationwide
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Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Delaware County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +8,086
--- #433 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.5%
--- #17 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,290 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 564,554
--- #5 largest county in Pennsylvania, #117 largest county nationwide
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Shuvaev // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Northampton County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +8,273
--- #430 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.8%
--- #12 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,085 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 302,809
--- #13 largest county in Pennsylvania, #231 largest county nationwide
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Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#11. Lebanon County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +8,388
--- #429 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.4%
--- #3 among counties in Pennsylvania, #658 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 139,729
--- #25 largest county in Pennsylvania, #461 largest county nationwide
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Nicholas // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Centre County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +10,549
--- #379 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.0%
--- #2 among counties in Pennsylvania, #613 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 161,960
--- #22 largest county in Pennsylvania, #403 largest county nationwide
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Nicholas // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Berks County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +10,715
--- #375 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.6%
--- #14 among counties in Pennsylvania, #1,111 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 418,025
--- #9 largest county in Pennsylvania, #168 largest county nationwide
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Rina Pitucci // Flickr

#8. Dauphin County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +10,809
--- #371 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.1%
--- #10 among counties in Pennsylvania, #902 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 275,632
--- #14 largest county in Pennsylvania, #247 largest county nationwide
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Canva

#7. York County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +17,390
--- #288 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.1%
--- #11 among counties in Pennsylvania, #906 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 445,565
--- #8 largest county in Pennsylvania, #157 largest county nationwide
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Canva

#6. Cumberland County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +17,992
--- #285 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.8%
--- #1 among counties in Pennsylvania, #548 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 249,328
--- #16 largest county in Pennsylvania, #273 largest county nationwide
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Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Lehigh County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +21,106
--- #256 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.1%
--- #4 among counties in Pennsylvania, #682 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 365,052
--- #10 largest county in Pennsylvania, #191 largest county nationwide
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Camerafiend // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Chester County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +28,989
--- #188 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.9%
--- #5 among counties in Pennsylvania, #709 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 519,560
--- #7 largest county in Pennsylvania, #133 largest county nationwide
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Daderot // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Lancaster County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +29,749
--- #182 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.8%
--- #6 among counties in Pennsylvania, #714 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 540,999
--- #6 largest county in Pennsylvania, #126 largest county nationwide
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Douglas Muth // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Montgomery County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +33,326
--- #158 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.2%
--- #9 among counties in Pennsylvania, #889 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 823,823
--- #3 largest county in Pennsylvania, #74 largest county nationwide
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Michael Barera // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Philadelphia County

- 2010 to 2019 population change: +74,125
--- #64 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.9%
--- #8 among counties in Pennsylvania, #807 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 1,579,075
--- #1 largest county in Pennsylvania, #23 largest county nationwide

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