Where are the 10 poorest counties in Pennsylvania? Here’s an income breakdown
The poorest county in Pennsylvania has a median income of $47,681, more than $28,000 below the statewide figure, according to a recent financial analysis of the wealthiest and poorest spots in the commonwealth.
Financial website SmartAsset named Cameron County the poorest in Pennsylvania in 2025. Centre County was named the 17th wealthiest by comparison, with a median income of $72,748.
The most recent ranking reflects data updated last year, according to SmartAsset. The company used sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, real estate site Zillow and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to compile the ranking. The three metrics considered included investment income, median home value and median income.
In Cameron County, the median annual income is below the threshold needed to afford a typically priced, one-bedroom rental home, according to data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
The NLIHC reports Pennsylvania residents need to make $47,804 annually to afford such a rental, while the minimum income needed for a two-bedroom is $57,886, and an annual income of $72,325 is required to afford a three-bedroom rental.
Affordable housing is much less accessible to those making minimum wage. At Pennsylvania’s $7.25 non-tipped minimum wage, the same as the federal minimum, it would take 127 hours of work per week to affordably rent a one-bedroom, 154 hours per week for a two-bedroom rental or 192 hours for a three-bedroom.
Inflation and tariffs have further reduced affordability for Pennsylvania residents. The U.S. has seen a 12-month overall inflation rate of 2.4%, and some categories, such as meat, eggs and utilities, have seen steeper price increases.
Pennsylvania’s statewide median income is $76,081, according to the Census Bureau, and 11.6% of the commonwealth’s residents live in poverty.
The poorest counties in Pennsylvania
Here’s how the 10 poorest counties in Pennsylvania compare, according to SmartAsset:
1. Cameron County
- Median income: $47,681
- Investment income: $12,256
- Median home value: $74,031
- Poverty rate: 15.3% (The poverty level is not used in SmartAsset’s ranking criteria. The data is from the Census Bureau.)
2. Forest County
- Median income: $50,061
- Investment income: $15,298
- Median home value: $104,793
- Poverty rate: 24.8%
3. Cambria
- Median income: $56,292
- Investment income: $16,191
- Median home value: $120,702
- Poverty rate: 13.2%
4. Jefferson
- Median income: $56,898
- Investment income: $27,446
- Median home value: $102,537
- Poverty rate: 18.8%
5. Fayette
- Median income: $56,093
- Investment income: $23,439
- Median home value: $129,814
- Poverty rate: 18.9%
6. Northumberland
- Median income: $57,948
- Investment income: $17,733
- Median home value: $125,027
- Poverty rate: 12.3%
7. Warren
- Median income: $59,013
- Investment income: $22,321
- Median home value: $124,127
- Poverty rate: 11.4%
8. Indiana
- Median income: $58,739
- Investment income: $22,265
- Median home value: $136,401
- Poverty rate: 16.5%
9. Clearfield
- Median income: $60,181
- Investment income: $19,011
- Median home value: $125,220
- Poverty rate: 15.4%
10. McKean
- Median income: $61,705
- Investment income: $19,484
- Median home value: $99,922
- Poverty rate: 15.9%
Several counties switched places from 2024’s ranking, which named the 10 poorest counties in Pennsylvania as Cameron, Forest, Cambria, Northumberland, Fayette, McKean, Clearfield, Potter, Jefferson and Lawrence.
