Dauphin County Demographics

A map of Dauphin County's Population by Race

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 289,593, a slight increase from the 286,401 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 60.6% White, 16.3% Black, 11.8% Hispanic, 6.5% Asian, 4.1% Multiracial, and 0.7% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Dauphin County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Dauphin has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more 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 Dauphin County, that probability was 58.0% in 2020 and 58.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Dauphin County is ranked the 14th most populous county in Pennsylvania, out of 67 counties. Dauphin County was ranked the 14th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Dauphin County's White Population

175,496 residents of Dauphin County, or 60.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Dauphin County is considerably lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 73% of the population is White. Dauphin County ranks 65th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dauphin County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Dauphin County's population has decreased from 61.2% to 60.6%.

Dauphin County is less White than neighboring Lebanon County (78.4% White), Northumberland County (88.7% White), Snyder County (93.8% White), Perry County (93.5% White), and York County (78.9% White).

Dauphin County's Black Population

47,138 residents of Dauphin County, or 16.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Dauphin County is higher than in Pennsylvania overall, where 10.3% of the population is Black. Dauphin County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dauphin County's Black population has declined by an estimated 2.6%. Black residents' share of Dauphin County's population has decreased from 16.9% to 16.3%.

Dauphin County is more Black than neighboring Lebanon County (1.7% Black), Northumberland County (2.6% Black), Snyder County (0.7% Black), Perry County (0.8% Black), and York County (5.8% Black).

Dauphin County's Asian Population

18,879 residents of Dauphin County, or 6.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Dauphin County is slightly higher than in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.8% of the population is Asian. Dauphin County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dauphin County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 9.9%. Asian residents' share of Dauphin County's population has increased from 6.0% to 6.5%.

Dauphin County is more Asian than neighboring Lebanon County (1.6% Asian), Northumberland County (0.4% Asian), Snyder County (0.7% Asian), Perry County (0.3% Asian), and York County (1.5% Asian).

Dauphin County's Hispanic Population

34,032 residents of Dauphin County, or 11.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Dauphin County is slightly higher than in Pennsylvania overall, where 8.7% of the population is Hispanic. Dauphin County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dauphin County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 8.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Dauphin County's population has increased from 10.9% to 11.8%.

Dauphin County is more Hispanic than neighboring Northumberland County (5.2% Hispanic), Snyder County (2.6% Hispanic), Perry County (2.5% Hispanic), and York County (9.6% Hispanic). Dauphin County is less Hispanic than neighboring Lebanon County (15.2% Hispanic).

Dauphin County's Native American/Other Population

2,063 residents of Dauphin County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Dauphin County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Dauphin County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dauphin County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 5.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Dauphin County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Dauphin County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Lebanon County (0.4% Native American/Other), Northumberland County (0.5% Native American/Other), Snyder County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Perry County (0.2% Native American/Other).

Dauphin County's Multiracial Population

11,985 residents of Dauphin County, or 4.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Dauphin County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.6% of the population is Multiracial. Dauphin County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dauphin County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 3.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Dauphin County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.1%.

Dauphin County is more Multiracial than neighboring Lebanon County (2.7% Multiracial), Northumberland County (2.6% Multiracial), Snyder County (1.7% Multiracial), Perry County (2.7% Multiracial), and York County (3.6% 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.