Harrisburg is a city located in Dauphin County Pennsylvania. Harrisburg has a 2023 population of 50,267. It is also the county seat of Dauphin County.Harrisburg is currently growing at a rate of 0.13% annually and its population has increased by 0.4% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 50,069 in 2020.
The average household income in Harrisburg is $56,231 with a poverty rate of 28.24%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Harrisburg is 31.6 years, 30.4 years for males, and 33 years for females.
The city was once named as one of the best in the United States for raising a family, although it has faced some economic troubles in recent years.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the city’s largest employer, providing jobs to nearly 22,000 people. The United States government, Giant Food Stores, Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts are also top employers in the city, together providing tens of thousands of jobs to residents.
Since the 1960s, the of Harrisburg has been on the decline. At its peak, the population was almost 90,000 at the time of the 1950 census. However, by the time of the next census, it had dropped to below 80,000. This trend continued until the 2000 poll, which showed that the population was below 50,000. While the city’s population did increase between 2000 and 2010, it was just by over 1%. Recent estimates show that the population is down since the last census, indicating that the city’s financial issues and other problems continue to plague Harrisburg.
The region that is now the city of Harrisburg is believed to have been inhabited as far back as 3000 BC. Before being settled as a city, it was a crossroads for traders in its earliest days. Europeans did not reach the area until the early 1600s but did not settle at that time. The first European to settle in the area was John Harris, Sr. in 1719, later acquiring 800 acres of land. Toward the end of the 18th century, Harris’ son made plans for a town, and Harrisburg (named after the elder Harris) was incorporated in 1791. The city was designated as the capital in 1812.
In its earliest days, Harrisburg was a rural town. After being named as the capital, the capitol building was built in 1822, and the city began to expand, and its population grew. The Pennsylvania Canal, residential homes and businesses were constructed during the early 1800s. At the time of the Civil War, Harrisburg served as a training center and rail center for the Union. It was targeted twice by the Army of Northern Virginia. Harrisburg was also a stopping point of the Underground Railroad.
During the late 19th century, the city’s economy was centered on the steel and iron industries. The Steelton Borough in particular was known for its production of steel. The neighborhood had its downtown, houses and housed over 16,000 people. The rail yard also grew as industrialization took hold of Harrisburg.
However, in the 20th century, the industrial sector went into decline, and more people moved from the city limits to the surrounding suburbs. It was at this time that the city’s economy shifted to service industries including health care. Despite this, the population continued to decline after 1950. The city population continued to drop into the 1990s.
In the 21st century, mishandling funds put Harrisburg in a financial crisis. Most notably, trash to electricity plant that was supposed to boost the economy brought a debt of hundreds of millions of dollars. The total debt today has been estimated to be over $1.5 million, though missing audits and other issues have prevented an official total from being determined. In 2011, the city filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy which was dismissed. A receiver was appointed to help handle the finances as city assets were seized. A plan was announced in 2013 to bring the city out of debt, a plan that is currently being put in place.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Harrisburg was:
3.32
Average Family Size
2.33
Average Household Size
35.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
79.48% of Harrisburg residents speak only English, while 20.52% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 15.41% of the population.
28.24%
Overall Poverty Rate
26.9%
Male Poverty Rate
29.49%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Harrisburg is Hispanic, with 57.7% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Harrisburg is Asian, with 11.69% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 7.54%. Among those working part-time, it was 29.41%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 39.25%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
27.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
28.1%
Male Marriage Rate
26.5%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 35-44, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
18.6%
Veteran Poverty Rate
25.24%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
67.5%
Labor Force Participation
61.5%
Employment Rate
8.7%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
60.83%
Born in Harrisburg
91.72%
Native Born
7.95%
Foreign Born
4.51%
Non Citizen
3.43%
Naturalized
91.72% of Harrisburg residents were born in the United States, with 60.83% having been born in Pennsylvania. 4.51% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.