What is the largest city in Centre County, PA?

State College is the largest city or town in Centre County, with about 41,050 residents.

How many ZIP codes are in Centre County?

Centre County includes 31 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 16677, 16801, 16802, 16803, 16820.

What is the population of Centre County, PA?

About 158,576 people live in Centre County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

What counties border Centre County?

Centre County borders Blair County, Clearfield County, Mifflin County, Huntingdon County, Union County, Clinton County.

Centre County, PA: Cities, ZIP Codes & Local Data

Population

158,576

Land area

1,107sq mi

People per sq mi

143

ZIP codes

31

Centre County at a glance

Centre County is 51% less dense than Pennsylvania as a whole.
Households here earn a median of $74,291 a year, 5% less than the Pennsylvania figure of $77,971.
A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $323,500 (27% above Pennsylvania) and median rent is $1,207 a month.
The biggest population centers are State College (41,050), Park Forest Village (8,624) and Bellefonte (6,009).

Local data for Centre County, PA

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Centre County, PA, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$74,291

Poverty rate

16.3%

Median home value

$323,500

Prices +2.8% in a year

Median rent

$1,207/mo

Homeownership

61.8%

Bachelor's or higher

46.2%

Median age

34.2

Average commute

20.2 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (39,646), Irish Americans (22,346), Italian Americans (14,490).

Home values and rents Income, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans

Details

Unemployment rate

2.6%

Sep 2026, -0.8 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$65,553

69,346 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$59,070

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$1.7B

FY 2026, $10,531 per person

PPP loans

$322M

3,198 loans, 36,621 jobs reported

Campaign donations

$831K

Itemized, 2026 cycle

Economy Federal spending PPP loans

How people get to work

Centre County, PA, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

Drove alone63.0%
Carpooled6.9%
Public transit3.2%
Walked9.0%
Bicycle1.8%
Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other0.9%
Worked from home15.3%

Average one-way commute: 20.2 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Centre County, PA, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively Low

Top: winter weather

Storm events since 1996

790

Most often thunderstorm wind

Flood insurance policies

266

0.5% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

82° / 14°F

44.5 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm history Check a flood zone 36 historic places

Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Centre County

Population shown

Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Centre County, PA?: State College is the largest city or town in Centre County, with about 41,050 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Centre County?: Centre County includes 31 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 16677, 16801, 16802, 16803, 16820.
What is the population of Centre County, PA?: About 158,576 people live in Centre County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What counties border Centre County?: Centre County borders Blair County, Clearfield County, Mifflin County, Huntingdon County, Union County, Clinton County.