• county
  • FIPS 42009
  • Largest town: Bedford

Bedford County, Pennsylvania

Bedford County had 47,643 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,012.0 square miles of land. It ranks 45th of 67 in Pennsylvania by population and 10th by land area.

Population
47,643
#45 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #1,041 in US
Area
1,012.0 sq mi
#10 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #668 in US
Density
47 / sq mi
#56 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #1,529 in US
Median household income
$58,319
#54 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #2,002 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Bedford County within Pennsylvania. Pin: Harrisburg.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Bedford County

Bedford County population, land area and income

Bedford County had 47,643 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,012.0 square miles of land. It ranks 45th of 67 in Pennsylvania by population and 10th by land area. That works out to 47.1 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Pennsylvania has 82,953 residents; Bedford County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $58,319 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

47,643

3144th1st

1041st of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,012 sq mi

3144th1st

668th of 3,144 (US)

Density

47.1 / sq mi

3144th1st

1529th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$58,319

3143rd1st

2002nd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Pennsylvania (67)

Population

47,643

67th1st

45th of 67 (PA)

Land area

1,012 sq mi

67th1st

10th of 67 (PA)

Density

47.1 / sq mi

67th1st

56th of 67 (PA)

Median household income

$58,319

67th1st

54th of 67 (PA)

How Bedford County's population changed since 2020

Bedford County gained 63 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.1%. That ranks 28th of 67 in Pennsylvania for growth. The median Pennsylvania county changed by -0.5%, and the state as a whole by +0.6%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Bedford County recorded 1,979 births and 2,805 deaths, a natural change of -826. Net international migration added +220 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +676. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 826 people.

47.6k202047.5k202147.4k202247.4k202347.6k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,979
Deaths
2,805
Net international migration
+220
Net domestic migration
+676
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+201

Where Bedford County is

The Census internal point of Bedford County is at 39.998600, -78.494700. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Pennsylvania's 67 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Bedford County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adams County: +4.0%Potter County: -2.4%Sullivan County: +1.6%Bucks County: +0.6%Carbon County: +1.5%McKean County: -2.3%Montour County: -0.1%Fulton County: -0.9%Columbia County: +2.0%Cameron County: -4.1%Elk County: -2.6%Bradford County: -0.4%Bedford County: +0.1%York County: +3.2%Monroe County: -1.1%Forest County: -5.2%Berks County: +2.4%Cambria County: -2.3%Franklin County: +2.1%Snyder County: -0.3%Somerset County: -2.5%Clarion County: -0.9%Indiana County: -0.2%Lackawanna County: +0.6%Wyoming County: -1.0%Lawrence County: -2.0%Mercer County: -2.2%Lehigh County: +3.0%Northampton County: +3.3%Cumberland County: +5.9%Fayette County: -3.6%Jefferson County: -2.5%Centre County: +1.2%Lebanon County: +1.4%Union County: -1.2%Clinton County: +1.3%Chester County: +4.8%Montgomery County: +2.6%Wayne County: +0.5%Pike County: +6.5%Susquehanna County: -0.6%Allegheny County: -1.4%Clearfield County: -2.9%Butler County: +2.7%Beaver County: -1.4%Crawford County: -2.1%Washington County: +0.5%Venango County: -1.7%Warren County: -3.0%Blair County: -2.0%Huntingdon County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.9%Luzerne County: +1.9%Westmoreland County: -1.0%Juniata County: -0.4%Armstrong County: -2.7%Tioga County: -0.8%Delaware County: +1.4%Northumberland County: -1.7%Mifflin County: -0.5%Lycoming County: -0.8%Perry County: +2.1%Philadelphia County: -1.7%Schuylkill County: +1.1%Dauphin County: +2.2%Greene County: -5.3%Erie County: -1.1%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -2.2%
  2. < -1.0%
  3. < +0.1%
  4. < +1.9%
  5. ≥ +1.9%
no data

Orange pin: Bedford County internal point. Dark pin: Harrisburg.

Internal point

Decimal
39.998600, -78.494700
DMS
39°59'54.96"N 78°29'40.92"W
UTM
17N 713868.0E 4430608.3N
Geohash
dr05tc9bs
Plus code
87F3XGX4+C4

Towns in Bedford County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Bedford County, 4,591 people together, or 10% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Bedford County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Bedford with 2,843.

  1. 01Bedford2,843
  2. 02Everett1,748
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Bedford County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Bedford County, including 1 across a state line. The most populous is Cambria County, PA, with 130,108 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Harrisburg and the nearest big city

Harrisburg is 87.0 miles ENE of Bedford County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Pittsburgh, PA (population 307,668), 83.9 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Cumberland, MD (population 18,643), 27.8 miles away.

Bedford County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Bedford County is 42009: state code 42 for Pennsylvania plus county code 009. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $58,319.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Bedford County, Pennsylvania?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 47,643. That is up 63 people (0.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 47,580.

What is the FIPS code of Bedford County?

42009. The first two digits (42) are Pennsylvania; the last three (009) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Bedford County?

Bedford, with 2,843 residents inside Bedford County in 2024.

Which counties border Bedford County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Cambria County, PA; Blair County, PA; Somerset County, PA; Allegany County, MD; Huntingdon County, PA; Fulton County, PA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.