• county
  • FIPS 42027
  • Largest town: State College

Centre County, Pennsylvania

Centre County had 159,805 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,107.3 square miles of land. It ranks 22nd of 67 in Pennsylvania by population and 5th by land area.

Population
159,805
#22 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #439 in US
Area
1,107.3 sq mi
#5 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #570 in US
Density
144 / sq mi
#33 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #716 in US
Median household income
$69,999
#25 of 67 in Pennsylvania · #1,006 in US

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

Centre County within Pennsylvania. Pin: Harrisburg.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Centre County

Centre County population, land area and income

Centre County had 159,805 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,107.3 square miles of land. It ranks 22nd of 67 in Pennsylvania by population and 5th by land area. That works out to 144.3 people per square mile, 1.5 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top quarter nationally.

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

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $69,999 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

159,805

3144th1st

439th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,107 sq mi

3144th1st

570th of 3,144 (US)

Density

144.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

716th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$69,999

3143rd1st

1006th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Pennsylvania (67)

Population

159,805

67th1st

22nd of 67 (PA)

Land area

1,107 sq mi

67th1st

5th of 67 (PA)

Density

144.3 / sq mi

67th1st

33rd of 67 (PA)

Median household income

$69,999

67th1st

25th of 67 (PA)

How Centre County's population changed since 2020

Centre County gained 1,818 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.2%. That ranks 22nd 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, Centre County recorded 4,742 births and 4,951 deaths, a natural change of -209. Net international migration added +5,665 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -3,994. The largest single component was international migration, which added 5,665 people.

158.0k2020158.0k2021158.0k2022159.1k2023159.8k2024
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
4,742
Deaths
4,951
Net international migration
+5,665
Net domestic migration
-3,994
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+718

Where Centre County is

The Census internal point of Centre County is at 40.909300, -77.847700. It sits in UTM zone 18N. The map shades Pennsylvania's 67 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Centre 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: Centre County internal point. Dark pin: Harrisburg.

Internal point

Decimal
40.909300, -77.847700
DMS
40°54'33.48"N 77°50'51.72"W
UTM
18N 260161.8E 4532593.4N
Geohash
dr28sx31c
Plus code
87G4W552+PW

Towns in Centre County

5 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Centre County, 52,279 people together, or 33% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Centre County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is State College with 41,228.

  1. 01State College41,228
  2. 02Bellefonte5,986
  3. 03Philipsburg2,735
  4. 04Centre Hall1,253
  5. 05Milesburg1,077
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Centre County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Centre County. The most populous is Blair County, PA, with 120,269 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Harrisburg and the nearest big city

Harrisburg is 67.4 miles SE of Centre County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Pittsburgh, PA (population 307,668), 116.1 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is State College, PA (population 41,228), 8.2 miles away.

Centre County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Centre County is 42027: state code 42 for Pennsylvania plus county code 027. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $69,999.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Centre County, Pennsylvania?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 159,805. That is up 1,818 people (1.2%) from the July 2020 estimate of 157,987.

What is the FIPS code of Centre County?

42027. The first two digits (42) are Pennsylvania; the last three (027) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Centre County?

State College, with 41,228 residents inside Centre County in 2024.

Which counties border Centre County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Blair County, PA; Clearfield County, PA; Mifflin County, PA; Huntingdon County, PA; Union County, PA; Clinton 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.