Potter County Demographics
A map of Potter County's Population by Race
Potter County, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 16,188, a slight decrease from the 16,396 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 94.5% White, 2.6% Multiracial, 1.7% Hispanic, 0.4% Black, 0.4% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Potter County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.
Potter 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 Potter County, that probability was 10.6% in 2020 and 10.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.
Potter County is ranked the 63rd most populous county in Pennsylvania, out of 67 counties. Potter County was ranked the 63rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.
Potter County's White Population
15,305 residents of Potter County, or 94.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Potter County is significantly higher than in Pennsylvania overall, where 73% of the population is White. Potter County ranks 5th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Potter County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.2%. White residents' share of Potter County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 94.5%.
Potter County is more White than neighboring Cameron County (92.4% White), Allegany County (92.7% White), Clinton County (93.6% White), and McKean County (91.7% White). Potter County is less White than neighboring Tioga County (95% White).
Potter County's Black Population
68 residents of Potter County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Potter County is lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 10.3% of the population is Black. Potter County ranks 66th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Potter County's Black population has grown by an estimated 58.1%. Black residents' share of Potter County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.
Potter County is more Black than neighboring Cameron County (0.1% Black). Potter County is less Black than neighboring Allegany County (1.5% Black), Clinton County (1% Black), Tioga County (0.8% Black), and McKean County (2.1% Black).
Potter County's Asian Population
63 residents of Potter County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Potter County is slightly lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.8% of the population is Asian. Potter County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Potter County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 8.7%. Asian residents' share of Potter County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.
Potter County is less Asian than neighboring Cameron County (0.5% Asian), Allegany County (1.4% Asian), Clinton County (0.6% Asian), and McKean County (0.7% Asian).
Potter County's Hispanic Population
279 residents of Potter County, or 1.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Potter County is lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 8.7% of the population is Hispanic. Potter County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Potter County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 13.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Potter County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.7%.
Potter County is more Hispanic than neighboring Cameron County (0.7% Hispanic). Potter County is less Hispanic than neighboring Allegany County (2.2% Hispanic), Clinton County (1.9% Hispanic), and McKean County (2% Hispanic).
Potter County's Native American/Other Population
51 residents of Potter County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Potter County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Potter County ranks 26th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Potter County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 33.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Potter County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.
Potter County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Clinton County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Tioga County (0.1% Native American/Other). Potter County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Cameron County (1% Native American/Other), and McKean County (0.4% Native American/Other).
Potter County's Multiracial Population
422 residents of Potter County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Potter County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.6% of the population is Multiracial. Potter County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Potter County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 9.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Potter County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.6%.
Potter County is more Multiracial than neighboring Allegany County (2% Multiracial), and Tioga County (2.1% Multiracial). Potter County is less Multiracial than neighboring Cameron County (5.4% Multiracial), Clinton County (2.7% Multiracial), and McKean County (3.1% 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.