Counties with the most born-and-bred residents in Pennsylvania
The combination of inflation and increased work-from-home opportunities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted migration patterns across the United States, the effects of which are still being felt in 2024, according to the latest Census Bureau data.
In the first year of the pandemic, migration out of densely populated, expensive cities like New York and San Francisco was especially notable. Many moved to Sun Belt states where the weather is warmer and the cost of living significantly lower.
But by the second year of the pandemic, it became clear that not everyone who was moving wanted to go far. A 2022 analysis of movement out of crowded cities from Stateline showed that many people leaving city centers moved to nearby suburbs in the same state. In Texas, for example, moves out of Houston rose 62% in the first month of the pandemic; meanwhile, the western suburb of Katy saw more new residents move in than any other part of the country.
According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, released in September 2023, 53.5% of people who moved in 2022 did so within the same county and an additional 24.3% remained in state, meaning more than three-quarters of movers stuck close to home.
Many young people in particular are remaining in the state, town, or even house that they grew up in. Before the pandemic, the number of younger adults living with their parents was on the rise and those patterns have continued. A late 2023 survey released by Lending Tree found that 57% of millennials and Gen Zers live in their hometowns.
Many people choose not to leave the state they were raised in for reasons ranging from wanting to be close to family, to not having the resources to leave, to sticking with a lower cost of living.
In order to determine where people stay put in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most born-and-bred residents in Pennsylvania using data from the Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percentage of residents who were born in the state according to the latest data, which is 2022 five-year estimates. The percentage of residents who were born in another state, a U.S. territory, and another country is also included.
Read on to find out where the most loyal Pennsylvania residents live.
#50. Tioga County
- Population: 41,186
- Born in Pennsylvania: 28,778 (69.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 11,587 (28.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 219 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 602 (1.5% of population)
#49. Cumberland County
- Population: 261,269
- Born in Pennsylvania: 182,621 (69.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 57,299 (21.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 3,882 (1.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 17,467 (6.7% of population)
#48. Union County
- Population: 42,908
- Born in Pennsylvania: 29,996 (69.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 11,060 (25.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 529 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,323 (3.1% of population)
#47. Fulton County
- Population: 14,545
- Born in Pennsylvania: 10,333 (71.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,001 (27.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 98 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 113 (0.8% of population)
#46. Delaware County
- Population: 575,312
- Born in Pennsylvania: 410,123 (71.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 96,752 (16.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 6,522 (1.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 61,915 (10.8% of population)
#45. Berks County
- Population: 428,483
- Born in Pennsylvania: 305,874 (71.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 65,640 (15.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 22,144 (5.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 34,825 (8.1% of population)
#44. Potter County
- Population: 16,390
- Born in Pennsylvania: 11,723 (71.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,348 (26.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 104 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 215 (1.3% of population)
#43. Luzerne County
- Population: 325,396
- Born in Pennsylvania: 235,329 (72.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 56,397 (17.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 6,678 (2.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 26,992 (8.3% of population)
#42. Bradford County
- Population: 60,159
- Born in Pennsylvania: 43,610 (72.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 15,077 (25.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 294 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,178 (2.0% of population)
#41. Lancaster County
- Population: 553,202
- Born in Pennsylvania: 409,778 (74.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 96,700 (17.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 16,316 (2.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 30,408 (5.5% of population)
#40. Lackawanna County
- Population: 215,672
- Born in Pennsylvania: 160,607 (74.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 39,072 (18.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 3,560 (1.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 12,433 (5.8% of population)
#39. Lebanon County
- Population: 143,258
- Born in Pennsylvania: 108,490 (75.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 21,857 (15.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 6,809 (4.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 6,102 (4.3% of population)
#38. Allegheny County
- Population: 1,245,310
- Born in Pennsylvania: 948,276 (76.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 210,002 (16.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 9,934 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 77,098 (6.2% of population)
#37. Forest County
- Population: 6,959
- Born in Pennsylvania: 5,316 (76.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,360 (19.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 57 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 226 (3.2% of population)
#36. Montour County
- Population: 18,165
- Born in Pennsylvania: 13,984 (77.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,069 (16.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 193 (1.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 919 (5.1% of population)
#35. Carbon County
- Population: 65,018
- Born in Pennsylvania: 50,193 (77.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 11,957 (18.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 559 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,309 (3.6% of population)
#34. Erie County
- Population: 270,495
- Born in Pennsylvania: 210,661 (77.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 44,599 (16.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 3,381 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 11,854 (4.4% of population)
#33. Warren County
- Population: 38,492
- Born in Pennsylvania: 30,082 (78.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,750 (20.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 123 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 537 (1.4% of population)
#32. Mercer County
- Population: 110,600
- Born in Pennsylvania: 88,071 (79.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 20,080 (18.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 636 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,813 (1.6% of population)
#31. Wyoming County
- Population: 26,219
- Born in Pennsylvania: 20,973 (80.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,775 (18.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 86 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 385 (1.5% of population)
#30. Bedford County
- Population: 47,613
- Born in Pennsylvania: 38,177 (80.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 8,681 (18.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 270 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 485 (1.0% of population)
#29. Sullivan County
- Population: 5,880
- Born in Pennsylvania: 4,747 (80.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 995 (16.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 37 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 101 (1.7% of population)
#28. Crawford County
- Population: 83,876
- Born in Pennsylvania: 68,363 (81.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 13,962 (16.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 483 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,068 (1.3% of population)
#27. Washington County
- Population: 209,631
- Born in Pennsylvania: 172,020 (82.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 32,478 (15.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 805 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 4,328 (2.1% of population)
#26. Beaver County
- Population: 167,629
- Born in Pennsylvania: 137,766 (82.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 25,425 (15.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 899 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,539 (2.1% of population)
#25. Butler County
- Population: 194,562
- Born in Pennsylvania: 159,904 (82.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 29,241 (15.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,036 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 4,381 (2.3% of population)
#24. Lawrence County
- Population: 85,907
- Born in Pennsylvania: 71,298 (83.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 12,798 (14.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 603 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,208 (1.4% of population)
#23. Fayette County
- Population: 128,417
- Born in Pennsylvania: 106,784 (83.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 19,078 (14.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 501 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,054 (1.6% of population)
#22. Lycoming County
- Population: 114,022
- Born in Pennsylvania: 95,020 (83.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 15,946 (14.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 736 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,320 (2.0% of population)
#21. Columbia County
- Population: 64,924
- Born in Pennsylvania: 54,777 (84.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 8,367 (12.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 256 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,524 (2.3% of population)
#20. Schuylkill County
- Population: 143,201
- Born in Pennsylvania: 121,492 (84.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 16,405 (11.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,146 (1.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,158 (2.2% of population)
#19. Huntingdon County
- Population: 44,123
- Born in Pennsylvania: 37,437 (84.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,910 (13.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 327 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 449 (1.0% of population)
#18. Somerset County
- Population: 73,802
- Born in Pennsylvania: 62,758 (85.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 9,902 (13.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 373 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 769 (1.0% of population)
#17. Cameron County
- Population: 4,536
- Born in Pennsylvania: 3,860 (85.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 589 (13.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 54 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 33 (0.7% of population)
#16. Snyder County
- Population: 39,797
- Born in Pennsylvania: 33,868 (85.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,114 (12.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 369 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 446 (1.1% of population)
#15. Clarion County
- Population: 37,489
- Born in Pennsylvania: 31,988 (85.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,009 (13.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 169 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 323 (0.9% of population)
#14. Westmoreland County
- Population: 354,414
- Born in Pennsylvania: 304,929 (86.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 41,861 (11.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,735 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 5,889 (1.7% of population)
#13. Indiana County
- Population: 83,394
- Born in Pennsylvania: 72,014 (86.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 9,414 (11.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 447 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,519 (1.8% of population)
#12. Northumberland County
- Population: 91,340
- Born in Pennsylvania: 79,071 (86.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 10,264 (11.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 883 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,122 (1.2% of population)
#11. Perry County
- Population: 45,941
- Born in Pennsylvania: 39,789 (86.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,237 (11.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 361 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 554 (1.2% of population)
#10. Venango County
- Population: 50,475
- Born in Pennsylvania: 43,756 (86.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 6,056 (12.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 270 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 393 (0.8% of population)
#9. Clinton County
- Population: 37,860
- Born in Pennsylvania: 32,978 (87.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,104 (10.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 208 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 570 (1.5% of population)
#8. Clearfield County
- Population: 79,707
- Born in Pennsylvania: 69,489 (87.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 8,378 (10.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 271 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,569 (2.0% of population)
#7. Blair County
- Population: 122,640
- Born in Pennsylvania: 107,352 (87.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 13,287 (10.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 506 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,495 (1.2% of population)
#6. Jefferson County
- Population: 44,326
- Born in Pennsylvania: 38,833 (87.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,101 (11.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 191 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 201 (0.5% of population)
#5. Cambria County
- Population: 133,263
- Born in Pennsylvania: 117,073 (87.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 14,305 (10.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 513 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,372 (1.0% of population)
#4. Juniata County
- Population: 23,535
- Born in Pennsylvania: 20,990 (89.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,588 (6.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 368 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 589 (2.5% of population)
#3. Mifflin County
- Population: 46,146
- Born in Pennsylvania: 41,449 (89.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,996 (8.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 341 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 360 (0.8% of population)
#2. Elk County
- Population: 30,886
- Born in Pennsylvania: 27,948 (90.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,582 (8.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 75 (0.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 281 (0.9% of population)
#1. Armstrong County
- Population: 65,538
- Born in Pennsylvania: 59,800 (91.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,092 (7.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 245 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 401 (0.6% of population)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 49 states.
