Erie County Demographics

A map of Erie County's Population by Race

Erie County, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 269,052, a less than 1% change from the 270,876 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 81.7% White, 7.0% Black, 4.8% Hispanic, 3.9% Multiracial, 2.2% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Erie County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Erie has become less racially diverse since 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 Erie County, that probability was 33.5% in 2020 and 32.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Erie County is ranked the 15th most populous county in Pennsylvania, out of 67 counties. Erie County was ranked the 15th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Erie County's White Population

219,947 residents of Erie County, or 81.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Erie County is higher than in Pennsylvania overall, where 73% of the population is White. Erie County ranks 50th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Erie County's population has increased from 80.9% to 81.7%.

Erie County is less White than neighboring Crawford County (92.9% White), Ashtabula County (86.7% White), Chautauqua County (83.7% White), Venango County (93.3% White), and Mercer County (87.9% White).

Erie County's Black Population

18,707 residents of Erie County, or 7.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Erie County is slightly lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 10.3% of the population is Black. Erie County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Black population has declined by an estimated 5.6%. Black residents' share of Erie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 7.0%.

Erie County is more Black than neighboring Crawford County (1.3% Black), Ashtabula County (3.7% Black), Chautauqua County (2.1% Black), Venango County (1.2% Black), and Mercer County (5.6% Black).

Erie County's Asian Population

5,869 residents of Erie County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Erie County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.8% of the population is Asian. Erie County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 7.7%. Asian residents' share of Erie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.2%.

Erie County is more Asian than neighboring Crawford County (0.5% Asian), Ashtabula County (0.4% Asian), Chautauqua County (0.7% Asian), Venango County (0.3% Asian), and Mercer County (0.6% Asian).

Erie County's Hispanic Population

12,851 residents of Erie County, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Erie County is slightly lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 8.7% of the population is Hispanic. Erie County ranks 26th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 6.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Erie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.8%.

Erie County is more Hispanic than neighboring Crawford County (1.6% Hispanic), Venango County (1.3% Hispanic), and Mercer County (1.7% Hispanic). Erie County is less Hispanic than neighboring Ashtabula County (5% Hispanic), and Chautauqua County (9.6% Hispanic).

Erie County's Native American/Other Population

1,272 residents of Erie County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Erie County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Erie County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 12.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Erie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Erie County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Ashtabula County (0.4% Native American/Other). Erie County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Crawford County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Venango County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Erie County's Multiracial Population

10,406 residents of Erie County, or 3.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Erie County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.6% of the population is Multiracial. Erie County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Erie County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 13.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Erie County's population has decreased from 4.4% to 3.9%.

Erie County is more Multiracial than neighboring Crawford County (3.1% Multiracial), Ashtabula County (3.7% Multiracial), Chautauqua County (3.4% Multiracial), Venango County (3.2% Multiracial), and Mercer County (3.7% 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.