HomePennsylvaniaCentre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Centre County, Pennsylvania has a population of 158,576 across 1,110 square miles, up 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Centre County
How many people live in Centre County
- Population158,576
- 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-equivalents439th
Centre County is the 22nd largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Centre County
Is Centre County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.04 percent
- Census 2020 base population158,164
- 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
The county has grown 1.04 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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 people moving to Centre County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,115
- People arriving, from those returns4,822
- Adjusted gross income arriving$219.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$70,582
- Largest single originCentre County Non-migrants (49,187 households)
- Largest single destination (49,187 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre County Non-migrants | 49,187 | 96,106 | $4.79 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,537 | 2,377 | $122.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 653 | 1,018 | $56.0 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 342 | 532 | $25.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 317 | 496 | $19.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 283 | 451 | $22.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 259 | 376 | $19.1 m |
| Clearfield County | 176 | 300 | $9.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Centre County Non-migrants, 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 the Centre County economy runs on
- 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 Pennsylvania counties20th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents403rd
- 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
Who employs people in Centre County
- Covered employment, annual average68,578
- Establishments reporting3,610
- Average annual pay$62,822
- Average weekly wage$1,208
- Sector 62, employment9,305
- Sector 62, average annual pay$67,973
- Sector 44-45, employment7,120
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,710
- Sector 72, employment6,725
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,986
- Sector 31-33, employment4,328
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$65,367
- Sector 54, employment2,993
- Sector 23, employment2,879
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 9,305 | 500 | $67,973 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,120 | 406 | $32,710 |
| Sector 72 | 6,725 | 336 | $23,986 |
| Sector 31-33 | 4,328 | 166 | $65,367 |
| Sector 54 | 2,993 | 422 | $89,735 |
| Sector 23 | 2,879 | 283 | $71,349 |
| Sector 81 | 1,946 | 318 | $37,428 |
| Sector 56 | 1,657 | 155 | $41,902 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 9,305 jobs, 13.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Centre County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Centre County
What is being built in Centre County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024367
- Declared construction value permitted$101.0 m
- Single family units authorised290
- Multifamily units authorised77
- Multifamily share of units21.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$275,069
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.2
Multifamily is 21.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Centre County
How much SBA lending happens in Centre County
- 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$995,000
- 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$520,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval11.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.1
- Most active CDCSEDA-COG Local Development Corporation (21)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals74.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$64.8 m
The average approval of $401,252 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually 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
Do SBA loans in Centre County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded24
- Paid in full20
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans16.7 percent
- Status: Paid in full20
- Status: Exempt from disclosure51
- Status: Cancelled11
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Of the 24 loans that have reached a final outcome, 16.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Centre County
Which parts of Centre County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending13
- State College, approvals51
- BELLEFONTE, approvals15
- Port Matilda, approvals7
- BOALSBURG, approvals4
- PHILIPSBURG, approvals4
- SPRING MILLS, approvals4
| Place | 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 |
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 big 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
What hazards affect Centre County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book35
- Of those, participating in the NFIP34
- NFIP participation rate97.1 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population158,576
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 1.04 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Centre County?
Average annual pay is $62,822, or $1,208 a week, across 68,578 covered jobs. 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 totalling $37.7 m since FY2020, across 23 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 32 504 approvals worth $27.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Centre County get paid back?
Of the 24 loans that have reached a final outcome, 20 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 16.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Centre County?
367 housing units were authorised 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 Centre County Non-migrants, with 49,187 households. Arriving households report an average income of $70,582 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.