Pennsylvania · GEOID 42099

Perry County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 46,239 · 20,049 housing units

Median household income

$79,444

State $80,054

Median home value

$236,400

State $266,800

Median gross rent

$874

State $1,235

Homeownership rate

81.8%

State 69.3%

Renter cost-burden rate

42.9%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

19.3%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

0.3%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

2.2%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

8.7%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

2.98

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Perry County	Pennsylvania
Population	46,239	13,018,639
Population density (per sq. mi.)	83.85	—
Median household income	$79,444	$80,054
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$109,300	—
Households	18,299	—
Average household size	2.50 people	—
Owner-occupied	81.8%	69.3%
Renter-occupied	18.2%	30.7%
Race	94.0% White · 0.8% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Perry County compared with Pennsylvania.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

20.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 35.2%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	17.1%	$53,090	$1,327	$166,599
1 earner	33.9%	$69,696	$1,742	$228,413
2 earners	36.4%	$118,921	$2,973	$411,645
3+ earners	12.6%	$156,890	$3,922	$552,978

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

18,299

Average size: 2.50 people

Households with children

4,477

24.5% of households

Per-capita income

$39,403

Poverty rate: 7.0%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

81.8% owner-occupied vs. state average 69.3%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 84.6% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 6.2%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

53.9% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,976.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $236,400.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $874.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 1,750 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 2.4% · For rent 4.2% · Seasonal 53.5% · Other 34.1%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

12.3% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 87.7% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

4.7%

937 units of 20,049 total

Housing units held for seasonal or recreational use.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

3.0%

597 units of 20,049 total

Census "Other vacant" — units off the market for reasons other than seasonal, migrant, sale, or rental.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$63,555

100% MHI$79,444

120% MHI$95,333

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Perry County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$61,250	$70,000	$87,450
100% AMI	$76,510	$87,440	$109,300
120% AMI	$91,800	$104,950	$131,150

HUD FMR Area: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

42.9% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (14.2% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

19.3% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Perry County.

Covered employment

6,623

Across 13 sectors

Establishments

733

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$43,606

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	1,264	$27,750	$72,275	−$164,125	$694
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	1,036	$29,790	$79,869	−$156,531	$745
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	952	$49,831	$154,468	−$81,932	$1,246
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	849	$58,207	$185,647	−$50,753	$1,455
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	761	$61,289	$197,119	−$39,281	$1,532
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	506	$45,587	$138,671	−$97,729	$1,140
NAICS 31-33 Manufacturing NAICS 31-33	433	$46,214	$141,005	−$95,395	$1,155
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	306	$32,636	$90,463	−$145,937	$816
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	219	$59,185	$189,287	−$47,113	$1,480
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	209	$50,370	$156,475	−$79,925	$1,259
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	40	$36,278	$104,020	−$132,380	$907
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	26	$33,653	$94,248	−$142,152	$841
NAICS 22 Utilities NAICS 22	22	$22,241	$51,769	−$184,631	$556

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 485 Transit and ground passenger transportation NAICS 485	876	$22,906	$54,244	−$182,156	$573
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	849	$58,207	$185,647	−$50,753	$1,455
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	547	$20,831	$46,521	−$189,879	$521
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	428	$63,401	$204,981	−$31,419	$1,585
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	385	$36,914	$106,387	−$130,013	$923
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	371	$66,625	$216,981	−$19,419	$1,666
NAICS 624 Social assistance NAICS 624	330	$30,247	$81,570	−$154,830	$756
NAICS 623 Nursing and residential care facilities NAICS 623	252	$50,553	$157,156	−$79,244	$1,264
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	219	$59,185	$189,287	−$47,113	$1,480
NAICS 112 Animal production and aquaculture NAICS 112	180	$42,081	$125,620	−$110,780	$1,052
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	168	$25,453	$63,725	−$172,675	$636
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	159	$44,729	$135,477	−$100,923	$1,118
NAICS 444 Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers NAICS 444	150	$35,008	$99,292	−$137,108	$875
NAICS 441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers NAICS 441	136	$51,823	$161,883	−$74,517	$1,296
NAICS 321 Wood product manufacturing NAICS 321	134	$52,118	$162,981	−$73,419	$1,303
NAICS 311 Food manufacturing NAICS 311	126	$50,948	$158,626	−$77,774	$1,274
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	125	$50,850	$158,261	−$78,139	$1,271
NAICS 813 Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations NAICS 813	123	$18,060	$36,206	−$200,194	$452
NAICS 456 Health and personal care retailers NAICS 456	96	$32,217	$88,903	−$147,497	$805
NAICS 455 General merchandise retailers NAICS 455	86	$20,258	$44,388	−$192,012	$506
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	79	$70,336	$230,795	−$5,605	$1,758
NAICS 484 Truck transportation NAICS 484	77	$64,337	$208,465	−$27,935	$1,608
NAICS 332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing NAICS 332	76	$51,415	$160,365	−$76,035	$1,285
NAICS 423 Merchant wholesalers, durable goods NAICS 423	65	$71,650	$235,686	−$714	$1,791
NAICS 812 Personal and laundry services NAICS 812	58	$24,293	$59,407	−$176,993	$607
NAICS 312 Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing NAICS 312	56	$16,397	$30,016	−$206,384	$410
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	43	$17,459	$33,969	−$202,431	$436
NAICS 221 Utilities NAICS 221	22	$22,241	$51,769	−$184,631	$556
NAICS 424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods NAICS 424	20	$49,537	$153,374	−$83,026	$1,238
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	15	$72,642	$239,379	+$2,979	$1,816
NAICS 519 Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services NAICS 519	12	$15,687	$27,373	−$209,027	$392
NAICS 517 Telecommunications NAICS 517	11	$71,815	$236,300	−$100	$1,795
NAICS 115 Support activities for agriculture and forestry NAICS 115	9	$36,988	$106,662	−$129,738	$925
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	2	$80,804	$269,760	+$33,360	$2,020

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs	8,030	540	7%	$13.68	$28,450	$74,881	$711
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	5,640	(2,240)	(28%)	$14.33	$29,810	$79,943	$745
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	890	(200)	(18%)	$14.92	$31,030	$84,485	$776
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	7,640	(1,010)	(12%)	$16.29	$33,890	$95,131	$847
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	4,240	60	1%	$17.86	$37,140	$107,228	$929
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	3,920	(1,260)	(24%)	$18.19	$37,830	$109,797	$946
Tellers SOC 43-3071	670	(820)	(55%)	$19.71	$41,000	$121,596	$1,025
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs	4,490	(210)	(4%)	$20.33	$42,280	$126,361	$1,057
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	6,380	(1,180)	(16%)	$21.76	$45,250	$137,416	$1,131
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	1,370	290	27%	$25.28	$52,580	$164,701	$1,315
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	3,060	90	3%	$25.40	$52,830	$165,632	$1,321
Paramedics SOC 29-2043 · prior-year code differs	200	(440)	(69%)	$28.19	$58,640	$187,258	$1,466
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	140	(160)	(53%)	$29.16	$60,640	$194,703	$1,516
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	1,320	80	6%	$29.41	$61,180	$196,713	$1,530
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	6,800	740	12%	$30.75	$63,960	$207,061	$1,599
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	2,990	130	5%	—	$73,090	$241,046	$1,827
Electricians SOC 47-2111	1,050	140	15%	$36.20	$75,300	$249,273	$1,883
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	950	40	4%	$37.77	$78,560	$261,407	$1,964
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	1,480	120	9%	$39.89	$82,970	$277,823	$2,074
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	9,210	1,800	24%	$45.03	$93,660	$317,615	$2,342

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 42099 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.