HomePennsylvaniaCentre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Centre County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 159,805 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 158,164, across 1,110 square miles. County output reached $11.25 bn in 2024, 3,344 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 94 7(a) approvals worth $37.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Centre County
How many people live in Centre County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024158,576
- Households59,013
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$74,291
- Median age34.2
- Median gross rent$1,207 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$323,500
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher46.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree23.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over97,777
- Population under 1823,235
- Share under 1814.7 percent
- Population 65 and over25,272
- Share 65 and over15.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64110,069
- Civilian labor force76,772
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.7 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties22nd of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included439th of 3,222
Centre County is the 22nd largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 15.9 percent against 14.7 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.
Centre County
Is Centre County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024159,805
- Census 2020 base population158,164
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.04 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024718
- Births, 20241,096
- Deaths, 20241,100
- Natural change, 2024-4
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,544
- Net international migration, 20242,253
- Total net migration, 2024709
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-3,790
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1474th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.04 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Centre County
Where are people moving to Centre County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,115
- People arriving, from those returns4,822
- Tax returns filed by households leaving3,751
- Net household movement-636
- Adjusted gross income arriving$219.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-17.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$70,582
- Average income of a leaving household$63,361
- Largest single originClearfield County (176 households)
- Largest single destinationClearfield County (196 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearfield County | 176 | 300 | $9.3 m |
| Clinton County | 115 | 194 | $5.2 m |
| Blair County | 108 | 163 | $5.4 m |
| Allegheny County | 79 | 105 | $4.6 m |
| Philadelphia County | 73 | 98 | $5.8 m |
| Huntingdon County | 64 | 110 | $5.0 m |
| Montgomery County | 47 | 60 | $2.8 m |
| Mifflin County | 46 | 65 | $2.8 m |
Households arriving report $7,221 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 Clearfield 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.
Centre County
What is the Centre County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$11.25 bn
- County GDP, 2023$10.74 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years21.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes20th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes403rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$70,938
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 21.8 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.
Centre County
Employment by industry in Centre County
- Covered employment, annual average68,578
- Establishments reporting3,610
- Average annual pay$62,822
- Average weekly wage$1,208
- Health care and social assistance, employment9,305
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$67,973
- Retail trade, employment7,120
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,710
- Accommodation and food services, employment6,725
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$23,986
- Manufacturing, employment4,328
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$65,367
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment2,993
- Construction, employment2,879
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 9,305 | 500 | $67,973 |
| Retail trade | 7,120 | 406 | $32,710 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,725 | 336 | $23,986 |
| Manufacturing | 4,328 | 166 | $65,367 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 2,993 | 422 | $89,735 |
| Construction | 2,879 | 283 | $71,349 |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,946 | 318 | $37,428 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,657 | 155 | $41,902 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 9,305 jobs, 13.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Centre County
How many businesses are in Centre County?
- Establishments, all industries3,344
- Employment at those establishments44,569
- Annual payroll$2.18 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
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.
Centre County
Building permits in Centre County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024367
- Declared construction value permitted$101.0 m
- Single family units authorized290
- Multifamily units authorized77
- Multifamily share of units21.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$275,069
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.2
Single-family homes are 79.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Centre County
SBA loans in Centre County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded94
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$37.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$401,252
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$981,500
- Largest single approval$3,920,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,432
- Jobs per approval15.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active23
- Distinct industries receiving approvals49
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter84
- Franchise loans9
- Franchise share of approvals9.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (9)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (20)
- 504 approvals recorded32
- 504 gross approval dollars$27.1 m
- Average 504 approval$847,625
- Median 504 approval$485,500
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval11.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.1
- Most active CDCSEDA-COG Local Development Corporation (21)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$64.8 m
The average approval of $401,252 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 6.4 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.
Centre County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Centre County
Do SBA loans in Centre County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded24
- Paid in full20
- Charged off4
- Status: Paid in full20
- Status: Exempt from disclosure51
- Status: Cancelled11
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Only 24 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.
Centre County
SBA lending by place in Centre County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending13
- State College, approvals51
- Bellefonte, approvals15
- Port Matilda, approvals7
- Boalsburg, approvals4
- Philipsburg, approvals4
- Spring Mills, approvals4
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| State College | 51 | $19,759,900 |
| Bellefonte | 15 | $4,273,800 |
| Port Matilda | 7 | $1,355,000 |
| Boalsburg | 4 | $3,350,000 |
| Philipsburg | 4 | $1,460,000 |
| Spring Mills | 4 | $1,130,000 |
| Julian | 2 | $564,000 |
| Rebersburg | 2 | $40,000 |
| 5 other borrower cities | 5 | $5,785,000 |
State College accounts for 51 approvals against 15 in Bellefonte. 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.
Centre County
How large is Centre County?
- Land area1,110 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties5th of 67
- Width, east to west64.4 mi
- Height, north to south38.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land143
- Establishments per square mile3.01
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.
Centre County
Flood risk in Centre County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book35
- Of those, participating in the NFIP34
- NFIP participation rate97.1 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Centre County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Centre 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. 97.1 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 Centre 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 Centre County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024158,576
- Households59,013
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$74,291
- Median age34.2
Common questions
Centre County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau estimates 159,805 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 158,576, in 59,013 households, ranking 22nd of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Centre County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.04 percent since the 2020 census base of 158,164, to 159,805 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,096 births against 1,100 deaths, with net migration of 709. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Centre County?
$74,291. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $323,500, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,207 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Centre County?
3,344 establishments, employing 44,569 people with an annual payroll of $2.18 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 Centre County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 9,305 jobs, 13.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 68,578 jobs at an average annual pay of $62,822, or $1,208 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Centre County?
94 7(a) approvals totaling $37.7 m since FY2020, across 23 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 32 504 approvals worth $27.1 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Centre County?
367 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $101.0 m. Multifamily was 21.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Centre 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 Centre County come from?
The largest single origin is Clearfield County, with 176 households. Arriving households report an average income of $70,582 against $63,361 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Centre 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 Centre 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.
Centre County
Cities and places in Centre.
53 Census places lie wholly or partly in Centre County. All 53 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State College | borough | 41,050 | 51 | Wholly in this county |
| Park Forest Village | CDP | 8,624 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bellefonte | borough | 6,009 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Boalsburg | CDP | 4,582 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Pleasant Gap | CDP | 3,208 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Toftrees | CDP | 2,873 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Philipsburg | borough | 2,748 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Stormstown | CDP | 2,532 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lemont | CDP | 2,076 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Houserville | CDP | 2,000 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Zion | CDP | 1,981 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Centre Hall | borough | 1,547 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Grove Mills | CDP | 1,502 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Milesburg | borough | 1,105 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nittany | CDP | 1,096 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ramblewood | CDP | 1,092 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clarence | CDP | 795 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Millheim | borough | 777 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Aaronsburg | CDP | 718 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Snow Shoe | borough | 702 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Howard | borough | 653 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| North Philipsburg | CDP | 651 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Blanchard | CDP | 593 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Rebersburg | CDP | 583 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Continental Courts | CDP | 573 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Spring Mills | CDP | 564 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Port Matilda | borough | 552 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Snydertown | CDP | 467 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Runville | CDP | 425 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Philipsburg | CDP | 397 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Eagleville | CDP | 336 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Moshannon | CDP | 284 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Unionville | borough | 238 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Moose Run | CDP | 235 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Casanova | CDP | 227 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Julian | CDP | 206 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Baileyville | CDP | 190 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sandy Ridge | CDP | 181 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mingoville | CDP | 180 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Potters Mills | CDP | 172 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Glen | CDP | 167 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Madisonburg | CDP | 148 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Eagle | CDP | 117 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coburn | CDP | 111 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Woodward | CDP | 106 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Eagle Creek | CDP | 105 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Holters Crossing | CDP | 96 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Yarnell | CDP | 92 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Monument | CDP | 89 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Peru | CDP | 76 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Orviston | CDP | 69 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jacksonville | CDP | 52 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hublersburg | CDP | 26 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 94 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Centre County, the largest being Pennsylvania Furnace (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.