Bedford County Demographics

A map of Bedford County's Population by Race

Bedford County, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 47,513, a less than 1% change from the 47,577 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 95.4% White, 1.9% Multiracial, 1.4% Hispanic, 0.7% Black, 0.5% Asian, and 0.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Bedford County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Bedford is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Pennsylvania overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Bedford County, that probability was 8.9% in 2020 and 8.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Bedford County is ranked the 45th most populous county in Pennsylvania, out of 67 counties. Bedford County was ranked the 45th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Bedford County's White Population

45,325 residents of Bedford County, or 95.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Bedford County is significantly higher than in Pennsylvania overall, where 73% of the population is White. Bedford County ranks 1st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 95.4%.

Bedford County is more White than neighboring Fulton County (93.2% White), Allegany County (85.9% White), Blair County (91.6% White), Morgan County (93.1% White), and Cambria County (90.2% White).

Bedford County's Black Population

339 residents of Bedford County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Bedford County is lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 10.3% of the population is Black. Bedford County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Black population has grown by an estimated 87.3%. Black residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Bedford County is more Black than neighboring Morgan County (0% Black). Bedford County is less Black than neighboring Fulton County (1.3% Black), Allegany County (6.8% Black), Blair County (1.9% Black), and Cambria County (2.8% Black).

Bedford County's Asian Population

214 residents of Bedford County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Bedford County is slightly lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.8% of the population is Asian. Bedford County ranks 58th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 39.9%. Asian residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Bedford County is more Asian than neighboring Fulton County (0.2% Asian). Bedford County is less Asian than neighboring Allegany County (1% Asian), Blair County (0.7% Asian), and Morgan County (0.7% Asian).

Bedford County's Hispanic Population

644 residents of Bedford County, or 1.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Bedford County is lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 8.7% of the population is Hispanic. Bedford County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 24.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.4%.

Bedford County is more Hispanic than neighboring Fulton County (1.3% Hispanic). Bedford County is less Hispanic than neighboring Allegany County (2% Hispanic), Blair County (1.6% Hispanic), Morgan County (1.8% Hispanic), and Cambria County (2.1% Hispanic).

Bedford County's Native American/Other Population

80 residents of Bedford County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Bedford County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Bedford County ranks 65th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 31.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Bedford County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Fulton County (1.2% Native American/Other), Allegany County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Morgan County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Bedford County's Multiracial Population

911 residents of Bedford County, or 1.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Bedford County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.6% of the population is Multiracial. Bedford County ranks 60th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 25.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Bedford County's population has decreased from 2.6% to 1.9%.

Bedford County is less Multiracial than neighboring Fulton County (2.8% Multiracial), Allegany County (3.6% Multiracial), Blair County (4% Multiracial), Morgan County (3.8% Multiracial), and Cambria County (4.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.