Pennsylvania has recorded a modest population increase in recent years, with most of the growth concentrated in the Southeast, though less so in Philadelphia itself, writes Mike D’Onofrio for AXIOS Philadelphia.
According to recent U.S. Census data, the Philadelphia region accounted for over half of the Keystone State’s population growth between 2019 and 2023.
Out of the nearly 200,000 new residents the commonwealth added during that period — a 1.5 percent increase over the previous five years — 102,000 settled in the Philadelphia region.
However, Philadelphia County grew by just 0.4 percent, keeping its population around 1.6 million. This marks the lowest increase in the Philadelphia region.
Montgomery County recorded the highest increase in the area with a 5 percent rise.
In the meantime, over two dozen mostly rural counties have seen their population decrease.
The primary driver of population growth in the state in recent years has been international migration, according to a report that was published this month by the bipartisan legislative state agency Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
The report also projects that the population in the state will only have increased by 1.6 percent by 2050.
Read more about the change in population throughout Philadelphia and the nearby region in AXIOS Philadelphia.
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