Pennsylvania Population Changes: Pike County Leads Growth

One county in Pennsylvania has seen a large increase in population from 2020 to 2023, according to U.S. Census data reported recently in Newsweek.  

Pike County’s population has increased 5% in four years, going from 58,574 in 2020 to 61,247 in 2023. The second fastest growing county in the state is Cumberland County, increasing 4%, going from 260,258 in 2020 to 270,738 in 2023. Other counties that saw the fastest growth included: Adams and Chester counties each at 3%, and York, Butler and Northampton counties each at 2%. 

Six counties with the largest decline in population were: Forest County at 7%, Clearfield, Greene and Fayette counties each at 4% and Philadelphia and Cameron counties each at 3%. 

Pennsylvania ranks fifth in population in the U.S., following California, Texas, Florida and New York. The commonwealth’s total population dropped from 13,002,788 in 2020 to 12,961,683 in 2023. Pennsylvania is one of eight states that have decreasing population including: New York, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon and West Virginia. Some suggest the shrinking population in Pennsylvania may be contributed to the migration to more southern states. 

In addition, according to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, deaths in Pennsylvania outpace births. The Keystone State is one of the states with the lowest fertility rates, with only 53.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44.