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Home > Community Development > Community Profiles > State College, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) > Demographics and Economic Data

Community Profile: State College, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Demographics and Economic Data

Included in this section is a brief summary of demographic and economic data. Detailed data can be accessed through the following websites:

  • Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council External Link: The website includes a geocoding/mapping system that allows users to obtain census data based on specific street addresses and a census report system that provides census information by census tract within a county or MSA.
  • PolicyMap External Link: This geographic information system, which includes an interactive mapping tool developed by The Reinvestment Fund, allows users to create custom maps, tables, and charts for over 10,000 indicators and provides the ability to plot external data.
  • U.S. Census Bureau American FactFinder External Link: Official source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Included below is a summary of the following data:

Population1

The population of the State College, PA MSA rose from 123,786 in 1990 to 135,758 in 2000, representing a 9.7 percent increase. During the same period, the state of Pennsylvania experienced a 3.4 percent population increase, while the borough of State College lost 1.3 percent of its population.

Table 1 shows the racial composition of the state of Pennsylvania, State College MSA, and borough of State College based on the 2000 census. A higher percentage (9 percent) of the population was Asian in the borough of State College than in the state (1.8 percent) or the MSA (4.0 percent). The last line of the table represents the percentage of the total population who stated they were Hispanic or Latino in origin.

The racial composition of the State College, PA MSA is illustrated in Figure 1. The racial composition of those who reported they were Hispanic or Latino in origin within the State College, PA MSA (1.7 percent of the total population for the MSA) is illustrated in Figure 2.

Income1

The 1999 median household income for the State College, PA MSA was $36,165 and the median family income was $50,557. Statewide, the median household income was $40,106 and the median family income was $49,184. In the same year, the median household income for State College borough was $21,186 and the median family income was $54,949.

The term low- and moderate-income persons (LMI) is used for CRA and community development purposes and includes people and communities whose income is less than 80 percent of the area median income. People and communities whose income is less than 50 percent of the area median income are considered low income and those whose income exceeds 50 percent, but does not exceed 80 percent, are considered moderate income.

In 2000, there were 49,336 households within the State College, PA MSA. Of all households in all census tracts, 24.5 percent were households with low incomes and 15.2 percent were households with moderate incomes. The income of a household is not necessarily an indicator of the income of the census tract in which it resides. As Table 2 indicates, 65.4 percent of all households with low incomes resided in middle- and upper-income census tracts and 69.4 percent of all households with moderate incomes resided in middle- and upper-income census tracts.2

In 2007, there were 29 census tracts in the State College, PA MSA. Of the total, two were low-income tracts and six were moderate-income tracts. In the borough of State College, there were nine census tracts. Of the total, two were low-income tracts and two were moderate-income tracts.2

Poverty Level1

In 1999, the State College, PA MSA had 22,742 residents living below the poverty line, representing 18.8 percent of the MSA population. Statewide, 11 percent of the population was living below the poverty line. The borough of State College had 12,996 residents (46.9 percent of the total population) living below the poverty line. The high percentage of residents living below the poverty line in the borough of State College is likely attributable to the large presence of students with low incomes in this area.

Information about how the U.S. Census Bureau measures poverty is available through its website. External Link

Housing Units1

In 2000, the State College, PA MSA had a total of 53,161 housing units, of which 92.8 percent were occupied and 7.2 percent were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, 60.2 percent were occupied by the owner, and 39.8 percent were occupied by a renter. The state of Pennsylvania had a total of 5,249,750 housing units, of which 91 percent were occupied and 9 percent were vacant. The borough of State College had a total of 12,488 housing units, of which 96.3 percent were occupied and 3.7 percent were vacant.

The reasons for vacancies are illustrated in Figure 3.

Housing Permits3

In January 2008, 13.4 housing permits for new, privately owned houses in the State College, PA MSA were issued. Of this group, 12.7 housing permits were for 1- to 4-unit homes. These numbers are seasonally adjusted.

More current information regarding housing permits in the State College, PA MSA and other areas within the Third Federal Reserve District is available through a database on the Regional Employment, unemployment, and housing page of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Research Department.

Local Industries3

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Research Department maintains a database of monthly employment data by industry for the State College, PA MSA. Excel spreadsheet Please note that all values for industry employment in this file are in thousands.

Unemployment Rate4

In 2007, the State College, PA MSA had an annual unemployment rate of 3.4 percent, compared with a rate of 4.4 percent for the state of Pennsylvania. The borough of State College had an annual unemployment rate of 3.3 percent for the same year.

More recent unemployment data are available through the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. External Link

Education1

Overall, the State College, PA MSA population is well educated: 36.3 percent of the population 25 years of age or older has a bachelor's degree or higher. Reflecting the presence of the university, 69.2 percent of the population 25 or older in the borough of State College has received a bachelor's degree or higher. For the state of Pennsylvania, this figure is 22.4 percent. See Figure 4 for more details.

  • Last updated: Wednesday, August 13, 2008

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