HomePennsylvaniaBlair County
Blair County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Blair County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 120,269 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 122,821, across 526 square miles. County output reached $8.00 bn in 2024, 3,178 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 64 7(a) approvals worth $35.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Blair County
How many people live in Blair County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024121,277
- Households50,558
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$62,382
- Median age43.1
- Median gross rent$885 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$161,100
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over86,786
- Population under 1824,416
- Share under 1820.1 percent
- Population 65 and over26,068
- Share 65 and over21.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6470,793
- Civilian labor force58,420
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.3 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties28th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included532nd of 3,222
Blair County is the 28th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.5 percent against 20.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Blair County
Is Blair County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024120,269
- Census 2020 base population122,821
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.08 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-225
- Births, 20241,170
- Deaths, 20241,712
- Natural change, 2024-542
- Net domestic migration, 202499
- Net international migration, 2024221
- Total net migration, 2024320
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-386
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2518th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.08 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Blair County
Where are people moving to Blair County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,626
- People arriving, from those returns2,658
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,743
- Net household movement-117
- Adjusted gross income arriving$96.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$1.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$59,100
- Average income of a leaving household$54,346
- Largest single originCambria County (196 households)
- Largest single destinationCambria County (199 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambria County | 196 | 334 | $10.1 m |
| Bedford County | 152 | 245 | $7.3 m |
| Huntingdon County | 119 | 195 | $5.4 m |
| Centre County | 109 | 160 | $5.3 m |
| Allegheny County | 78 | 108 | $4.0 m |
| Clearfield County | 62 | 91 | $2.6 m |
| Somerset County | 28 | 42 | $935,000 |
| Lancaster County | 24 | 49 | $1.8 m |
Households arriving report $4,754 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Cambria County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Blair County
What is the Blair County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$8.00 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.68 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years27.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes25th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes525th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$65,966
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 27.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Blair County
Employment by industry in Blair County
- Covered employment, annual average58,025
- Establishments reporting3,430
- Average annual pay$53,266
- Average weekly wage$1,024
- Health care and social assistance, employment11,547
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$56,891
- Retail trade, employment8,025
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,976
- Manufacturing, employment7,133
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$61,912
- Accommodation and food services, employment4,801
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,321
- Transportation and warehousing, employment3,206
- Construction, employment2,696
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 11,547 | 651 | $56,891 |
| Retail trade | 8,025 | 488 | $34,976 |
| Manufacturing | 7,133 | 143 | $61,912 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,801 | 295 | $19,321 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,206 | 80 | $65,261 |
| Construction | 2,696 | 295 | $62,067 |
| Other services, except public administration | 2,063 | 355 | $34,916 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,865 | 144 | $45,432 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 11,547 jobs, 19.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Blair County
How many businesses are in Blair County?
- Establishments, all industries3,178
- Employment at those establishments53,149
- Annual payroll$2.77 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Blair County
Building permits in Blair County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202487
- Declared construction value permitted$27.3 m
- Single family units authorized69
- Multifamily units authorized18
- Multifamily share of units20.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$313,321
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.7
Single-family homes are 79.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Blair County
SBA loans in Blair County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded64
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$35.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$553,534
- Median 7(a) approval$151,500
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,709,700
- Largest single approval$4,072,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)879
- Jobs per approval13.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals40
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms13
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter43
- Franchise loans13
- Franchise share of approvals20.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (7)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (18)
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$18.4 m
- Average 504 approval$1,084,118
- Median 504 approval$773,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval11.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.4
- Most active CDCAltoona-Blair County Development Corporation (11)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$53.9 m
The average approval of $553,534 sits well above the median of $151,500, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 20.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Blair County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Blair County
Do SBA loans in Blair County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Exempt from disclosure37
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Only 12 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Blair County
SBA lending by place in Blair County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending9
- Altoona, approvals35
- Hollidaysburg, approvals10
- Tyrone, approvals6
- Claysburg, approvals4
- Duncansville, approvals4
- Bellwood, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Altoona | 35 | $18,748,300 |
| Hollidaysburg | 10 | $6,581,700 |
| Tyrone | 6 | $1,000,000 |
| Claysburg | 4 | $3,176,300 |
| Duncansville | 4 | $1,990,900 |
| Bellwood | 2 | $2,120,000 |
| East Freedom | 1 | $1,674,000 |
| Williamsburg | 1 | $100,000 |
| 1 other borrower city | 1 | $35,000 |
Altoona accounts for 35 approvals against 10 in Hollidaysburg. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Blair County
How large is Blair County?
- Land area526 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties43rd of 67
- Width, east to west26.5 mi
- Height, north to south34.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land231
- Establishments per square mile6.04
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Blair County
Flood risk in Blair County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book24
- Of those, participating in the NFIP24
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Blair County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Blair County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Blair County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Blair County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024121,277
- Households50,558
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$62,382
- Median age43.1
Common questions
Blair County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Blair County, Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau estimates 120,269 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 121,277, in 50,558 households, ranking 28th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Blair County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.08 percent since the 2020 census base of 122,821, to 120,269 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,170 births against 1,712 deaths, with net migration of 320. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Blair County?
$62,382. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $161,100, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $885 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Blair County?
3,178 establishments, employing 53,149 people with an annual payroll of $2.77 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Blair County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 11,547 jobs, 19.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 58,025 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,266, or $1,024 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Blair County?
64 7(a) approvals totaling $35.4 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $151,500, plus 17 504 approvals worth $18.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Blair County?
87 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $27.3 m. Multifamily was 20.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Blair County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Blair County come from?
The largest single origin is Cambria County, with 196 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,100 against $54,346 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Blair County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Blair County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Blair County
Cities and places in Blair.
94 Census places lie wholly or partly in Blair County. 89 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona | city | 43,196 | 35 | Wholly in this county |
| Hollidaysburg | borough | 5,558 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Tyrone | borough | 5,377 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Greenwood | CDP | 2,853 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Penn Farms | CDP | 2,508 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Roaring Spring | borough | 2,335 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Loop | CDP | 2,039 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Martinsburg | borough | 1,741 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bellwood | borough | 1,691 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakemont | CDP | 1,644 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Claysburg | CDP | 1,244 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Duncansville | borough | 1,147 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Williamsburg | borough | 1,073 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Tipton | CDP | 730 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Juniata Gap | CDP | 691 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Freedom | CDP | 597 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Sylvan Hills | CDP | 578 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Grazierville | CDP | 511 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Eldorado | CDP | 476 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Foot of Ten | CDP | 466 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sunbrook | CDP | 440 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cross Keys | CDP | 420 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sproul | CDP | 393 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Olivia | CDP | 387 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pinecroft | CDP | 350 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Homewood at Martinsburg | CDP | 332 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Altoona | CDP | 324 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Newburg | CDP | 306 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Roots | CDP | 287 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tunnelhill | borough | 278 | None recorded | 53.9 percent here, 46.1 percent Cambria County |
| Bald Eagle | CDP | 272 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mill Run | CDP | 253 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Robeson Extension | CDP | 247 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elberta | CDP | 234 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Reightown | CDP | 227 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sickles Corner | CDP | 223 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fort Fetter | CDP | 218 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ore Hill | CDP | 214 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McKee | CDP | 208 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Northwood | CDP | 206 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Henrietta | CDP | 188 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Yellow Springs | CDP | 167 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vicksburg | CDP | 165 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Friesville | CDP | 161 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Newry | borough | 157 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Geeseytown | CDP | 156 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Skelp | CDP | 139 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Charlottsville | CDP | 134 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Carson Valley | CDP | 133 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fredericksburg | CDP | 131 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Sharpsburg | CDP | 129 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Red Hill | CDP | 116 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Puzzletown | CDP | 112 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shelltown | CDP | 93 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Spring Drive Mobile Home Park | CDP | 92 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oreminea | CDP | 87 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nealmont | CDP | 85 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dumb Hundred | CDP | 82 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shellytown | CDP | 82 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cove Forge | CDP | 80 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clappertown | CDP | 73 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Reservoir | CDP | 67 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Curryville | CDP | 66 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cotton Town | CDP | 60 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Klahr | CDP | 58 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Canan Station | CDP | 53 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brooks Mill | CDP | 50 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Linds Crossing | CDP | 40 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Culp | CDP | 39 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tyrone Forge | CDP | 39 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wopsononock | CDP | 38 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Reese | CDP | 37 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| St. Clair | CDP | 37 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fisherville | CDP | 35 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Franklin Forge | CDP | 31 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Blue Knob | CDP | 29 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Larke | CDP | 26 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jugtown | CDP | 23 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Royer | CDP | 23 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vail | CDP | 23 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gray | CDP | 21 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Point View | CDP | 15 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Beavertown | CDP | 10 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Martinsburg Junction | CDP | 8 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Millerstown | CDP | 5 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Canoe Creek | CDP | 4 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ganister | CDP | 3 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fostoria | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Frankstown | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ironville | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Leamersville | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Moores Mill | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ski Gap | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Smith Corner | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |