Centre County lost 3,000 residents in 5 years. Here are 5 things to know
Centre County’s population fell by about 3,000 residents over the past five years or so and is aging much more quickly than the state overall, according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
The survey, released last month by the U.S. Census Bureau, captures data from 2020 to 2024 and has some room for error. The Centre Daily Times compared it to the 2019 American Community Survey.
FULL STORY: Centre County’s population fell in the last 5 years. One group is particularly shrinking
Here are the highlights:
- Rural areas took the hardest hits. The townships of Miles, Marion and Worth each lost more than 20% of their total population. State College, the most populous of any municipality, lost 1,200 people, but it is a small fraction of its population.
- Centre County lost 6.8% of residents ages 29 and younger, about 5,000 people, even as Pennsylvania’s under-30 population dipped by 0.76%. Ferguson Township, Patton Township and State College account for more than half that decline, but they have large populations. Worth, Miles and Howard townships each lost more than 42% of their young populations.
- Millheim bucked the trend, growing by 208 residents — a 37% jump — and nearly doubling its under-30 population by adding 129 young people. There is significant room for error given its tiny population, however.
- The county’s median age rose from 32.3 to 34.2. Gregg Township saw the sharpest increase, climbing from 44.3 to 53.5. State College remained the youngest municipality at a median age of 21.2.
- Centre County grew slightly more diverse, but it remains overwhelmingly white. The non-Hispanic white population is 82.8%, down from 85.4% five years ago. Two-thirds of its municipalities are more than 90% non-Hispanic white, and all but six got whiter during the survey period.
Note: The summary above was compiled by AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story linked at top of the article was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists. You can read our AI policy here.
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 5:00 AM.