New census figures: Clinton County population takes a hit

WASHINGTON, DC – The US Census Bureau has released the results of its 2020 census and figures show a population drop of 4.6 percent for Clinton County from 2010 to 2020. The new figures put the county population in 2020 at 37,450; that number was 39,238 in 2010, an all-time high.

The 10-year drop in Clinton County is only the third in the county’s history, since an initial census in 1840 put the county population at 8,323; other drops occurred in 1930 and 1990, 3.7 and 4.5 percent respectively.

Pennsylvania as a whole saw a population increase of 2.4 percent, most of the growth in southeastern and south-central Pennsylvania. Most of the declines came in rural areas in western and northern Pennsylvania.

Centre County did grow by 2.7 percent to 158,172 residents, while Lycoming County dropped 1.7 percent to 114,188.

Neighboring Cameron County saw the second largest percentage drop, 10.6 percent, to 4,547 residents. Potter County fell by 6.1 percent, Union by 5 percent and Clearfield County dropped by 1.3 percent.

Clinton County tied for 46th place among the state’s 67 counties. Cumberland County had the biggest gain in population percentage-wise at 10.2 percent (while Philadelphia finished first with residents added, 77,791). Susquehanna County finished last with a loss of 11.4 percent.