ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Perry County, Pennsylvania

FIPS 42099 · Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA · Population 46,239
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$79,444
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.8%
Unemployment
4% national
$1.4B
GDP
20.2%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$79,444
Per Capita
$39,403
Mean Household
$97,124
Poverty Rate
8%
Median Income Comparison
Perry County$79,444
Pennsylvania$77,971
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 20.5% (9,476 residents) 55-64: 15.2% (7,051 residents) 35-54: 25.1% (11,595 residents) 18-34: 18.2% (8,418 residents) Under 18: 21% (9,699 residents) 44 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 21%
18-34 · 18.2%
35-54 · 25.1%
55-64 · 15.2%
65+ · 20.5%
Race & Ethnicity
White94%
Black or African American0.8%
Asian0.3%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)2.5%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
89.5%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 0.1 pts
20.2%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 15.5 pts
6.3%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 7.8 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
46,239
Population
23,159
Labor Force
Employed
22,374
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.8% ▲ +0.3 pts YoY
Mean Commute 6 min above national avg
32.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15.3%
Key Takeaways
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 15.5 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
  • Aging population: Median age of 44 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$1.4B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Perry County, Pennsylvania, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Retail Trade
1,236 21.0%
$27,688
2Transportation and Warehousing
1,097 18.6%
$27,074
3Health Care and Social Assistance
1,018 17.3%
$48,949
4Construction
782 13.3%
$63,933
5Accommodation and Food Services
552 9.4%
$18,306
6Manufacturing
432 7.3%
$49,745
7Other Services (except Public Administration)
300 5.1%
$33,351
8Finance and Insurance
214 3.6%
$53,483
9Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
213 3.6%
$60,364
10Educational Services
52 0.9%
$29,010
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 1,236 workers (21% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $27,688.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $1.4B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Construction averages $63,933 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $18,306, a 3.5x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
34.41x
1,016
Animal Production and Aquaculture
12.32x
174
Wood Product Manufacturing
6.42x
135
Forestry and Logging
3.76x
9
Food and Beverage Retailers
3.25x
552
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
3.14x
54
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.96x
162
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
2.04x
146
Specialty Trade Contractors
1.65x
449
Repair and Maintenance
1.64x
125

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Transportation & Warehousing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
1,016
Cluster Employment
34.41x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
34.41x 1,016
Animal Production and Aquaculture
12.32x 174
Wood Product Manufacturing
6.42x 135
Forestry and Logging
3.76x 9
Food and Beverage Retailers
3.25x 552
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
3.14x 54
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.96x 162
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
2.04x 146
Specialty Trade Contractors
1.65x 449
Repair and Maintenance
1.64x 125

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.31x
Educational Services
52 employed
0.38x
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
67 employed
0.38x
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
213 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation concentrates at 34.41x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
  • Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
  • Attraction whitespace: 7 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Perry County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$236,400
Median Home Value vs 2019
$874
Rent/Mo
81.8%
Owner-Occ
8.7%
Vacancy
3.0x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,058/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,212/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,493/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,920/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,977/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,986/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.0x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • High home ownership: 81.8% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,986/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
27,064
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 6 min above national avg
32.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15.3%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
81.4%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 63.4% of working-age population (18-64) 63% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
20.2%
HS Diploma+
89.5%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
55,388/yr
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 13,826/yr
University of Pennsylvania 10,067/yr
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus 9,973/yr
Temple University 9,400/yr
Drexel University 7,192/yr
West Chester University of Pennsylvania 4,930/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
26.1%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
33.2%
Service
13.4%
Sales & Office
20.6%
Construction / Maint.
14.8%
Production / Transport
18.1%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 22,374 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 26.1% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 33,866 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Perry County shows strong potential for transit and ground passenger transportation attraction, with a 34.41x concentration and 1,016 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 26.1% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.

The interconnected base across transit and ground passenger transportation, animal production and aquaculture, and wood product manufacturing creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Perry County, Pennsylvania, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Perry County, Pennsylvania?

46,239 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Perry County, Pennsylvania?

$79,444 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Perry County, Pennsylvania?

3.8% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Perry County, Pennsylvania?

$1.4B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).