Pennsylvania Race & Ethnicity by City
Cities With Data
1,943
in Pennsylvania
Most Diverse City
Melrose Park
Diversity Index: 0.705
Least Diverse City
Elysburg
Diversity Index: 0.000
Avg. White %
88.6%
across all cities
Pennsylvania has 1,943 cities with detailed race and ethnicity data from the American Community Survey. The most racially diverse city is Melrose Park with a diversity index of 0.705, while the least diverse is Elysburg (0.000). On average across cities, the racial composition is 88.6% White, 4.6% Hispanic, 3.4% Black, and 1.4% Asian. The diversity index uses Simpson's formula (1 minus the sum of squared proportions), where values closer to 1.0 indicate greater diversity and values closer to 0.0 indicate less diversity.
Largest Cities in Pennsylvania by Race & Ethnicity
Source: U.S. Census ACS| Rank | City | Population | Diversity Index | % White | % Hispanic | % Black | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 1,582,432 | 0.669 | 36.1% | 15.2% | 39.9% | 7.8% |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 303,620 | 0.535 | 63.7% | 4.2% | 22.5% | 5.8% |
| 3 | Allentown | 125,320 | 0.427 | 42.3% | 53.8% | 13.0% | 2.5% |
| 4 | Reading | 94,836 | 0.264 | 30.1% | 68.6% | 10.0% | 1.0% |
| 5 | Erie | 94,156 | 0.482 | 68.8% | 8.4% | 16.1% | 2.5% |
| 6 | Bethlehem | 77,069 | 0.484 | 62.3% | 29.4% | 9.1% | 3.3% |
| 7 | Scranton | 76,074 | 0.438 | 71.6% | 16.5% | 6.7% | 4.7% |
| 8 | Lancaster | 57,683 | 0.511 | 47.5% | 42.8% | 14.7% | 2.8% |
| 9 | Levittown | 50,930 | 0.312 | 81.5% | 11.1% | 3.9% | 1.4% |
| 10 | Harrisburg | 50,092 | 0.618 | 32.5% | 25.0% | 43.9% | 2.6% |
| 11 | York | 44,830 | 0.559 | 45.6% | 36.0% | 25.8% | 1.3% |
| 12 | Wilkes-Barre | 44,217 | 0.539 | 55.5% | 30.6% | 13.8% | 2.1% |
| 13 | Altoona | 43,508 | 0.189 | 89.8% | 1.8% | 3.3% | 0.5% |
| 14 | State College | 40,669 | 0.341 | 80.1% | 5.0% | 3.7% | 10.3% |
| 15 | Norristown | 35,782 | 0.632 | 32.2% | 32.9% | 32.6% | 1.9% |
| 16 | Chester | 33,209 | 0.443 | 16.4% | 9.6% | 71.7% | 0.8% |
| 17 | Bethel Park | 33,070 | 0.131 | 93.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| 18 | Drexel Hill | 30,015 | 0.538 | 63.6% | 5.8% | 21.0% | 7.0% |
| 19 | Hazleton | 29,886 | 0.276 | 42.4% | 63.1% | 5.3% | 0.1% |
| 20 | Easton | 29,079 | 0.553 | 57.4% | 24.5% | 16.1% | 1.4% |
| 21 | Monroeville | 28,383 | 0.474 | 70.0% | 4.2% | 15.4% | 5.7% |
| 22 | Williamsport | 27,629 | 0.397 | 76.0% | 3.5% | 13.5% | 1.2% |
| 23 | Plum | 26,873 | 0.146 | 92.3% | 0.9% | 3.3% | 1.1% |
| 24 | Lebanon | 26,600 | 0.404 | 55.1% | 45.3% | 4.0% | 0.9% |
| 25 | King of Prussia | 25,025 | 0.548 | 62.5% | 3.7% | 8.5% | 22.4% |
| 26 | Pottstown | 23,392 | 0.567 | 59.1% | 12.3% | 22.8% | 2.0% |
| 27 | Allison Park | 22,108 | 0.156 | 91.7% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 2.6% |
| 28 | Chambersburg | 22,051 | 0.414 | 72.5% | 19.9% | 9.3% | 1.5% |
| 29 | New Castle | 21,727 | 0.383 | 77.0% | 4.9% | 10.6% | 0.0% |
| 30 | Carlisle | 21,335 | 0.387 | 76.6% | 8.7% | 11.0% | 2.9% |
| 31 | Baldwin | 21,159 | 0.336 | 80.8% | 2.4% | 4.1% | 8.6% |
| 32 | Murrysville | 20,839 | 0.190 | 89.8% | 2.0% | 1.2% | 4.6% |
| 33 | West Mifflin | 19,338 | 0.314 | 81.9% | 2.3% | 10.1% | 1.0% |
| 34 | West Chester | 19,235 | 0.416 | 74.0% | 10.9% | 13.9% | 2.2% |
| 35 | Phoenixville | 19,062 | 0.337 | 80.5% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 3.8% |
| 36 | Lansdale | 18,865 | 0.479 | 69.8% | 8.2% | 7.2% | 12.8% |
| 37 | Johnstown | 18,245 | 0.450 | 71.5% | 5.5% | 15.5% | 0.4% |
| 38 | Colonial Park | 18,125 | 0.609 | 55.1% | 12.1% | 24.0% | 9.5% |
| 39 | McKeesport | 17,520 | 0.613 | 47.6% | 4.3% | 38.5% | 1.1% |
| 40 | Fullerton | 16,729 | 0.489 | 58.7% | 32.9% | 13.6% | 3.8% |
| 41 | Hanover | 16,483 | 0.281 | 83.6% | 10.4% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| 42 | Hermitage | 16,132 | 0.185 | 90.1% | 2.5% | 3.4% | 0.8% |
| 43 | Horsham | 15,866 | 0.372 | 77.4% | 11.7% | 4.0% | 9.9% |
| 44 | Weigelstown | 15,401 | 0.257 | 85.6% | 6.0% | 3.7% | 0.9% |
| 45 | Franklin Park | 15,273 | 0.366 | 78.2% | 2.0% | 2.7% | 14.0% |
| 46 | Whitehall | 14,863 | 0.324 | 81.2% | 1.1% | 4.2% | 12.2% |
| 47 | Greensburg | 14,777 | 0.158 | 91.6% | 1.5% | 3.1% | 1.3% |
| 48 | Hershey | 14,334 | 0.434 | 73.0% | 11.6% | 3.6% | 8.3% |
| 49 | Indiana | 14,170 | 0.223 | 87.8% | 2.4% | 6.1% | 1.1% |
| 50 | Ardmore | 14,165 | 0.432 | 73.5% | 5.2% | 12.6% | 4.8% |
Most Diverse Cities in Pennsylvania
Source: U.S. Census ACSThe table below ranks cities in Pennsylvania by their diversity index, from most diverse to least. A higher diversity index means the population is more evenly distributed across racial and ethnic groups. Melrose Park leads with a diversity index of 0.705, meaning there is a high probability that two randomly chosen residents belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
| Rank | City | Population | Diversity Index | % White | % Hispanic | % Black | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melrose Park | 2,273 | 0.705 | 41.3% | 3.8% | 29.2% | 14.9% |
| 2 | Progress | 11,143 | 0.701 | 41.2% | 12.2% | 25.9% | 14.5% |
| 3 | Rutherford | 6,982 | 0.692 | 37.7% | 11.6% | 32.2% | 20.8% |
| 4 | Montrose Manor | 496 | 0.690 | 45.4% | 11.1% | 22.2% | 17.3% |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 1,582,432 | 0.669 | 36.1% | 15.2% | 39.9% | 7.8% |
| 6 | Trainer | 1,725 | 0.654 | 46.4% | 4.5% | 31.9% | 0.0% |
| 7 | Aldan | 4,219 | 0.651 | 40.6% | 3.5% | 40.5% | 7.6% |
| 8 | Millbourne | 1,301 | 0.636 | 14.0% | 0.0% | 34.4% | 47.4% |
| 9 | Sierra View | 5,795 | 0.634 | 49.1% | 21.0% | 17.3% | 3.2% |
| 10 | Duquesne | 5,186 | 0.632 | 37.4% | 3.2% | 44.9% | 0.0% |
| 11 | Norristown | 35,782 | 0.632 | 32.2% | 32.9% | 32.6% | 1.9% |
| 12 | South Coatesville | 1,843 | 0.630 | 41.6% | 20.7% | 32.3% | 0.9% |
| 13 | Folcroft | 6,748 | 0.628 | 41.5% | 7.0% | 43.2% | 3.4% |
| 14 | Coatesville | 13,323 | 0.620 | 27.6% | 33.2% | 36.4% | 1.0% |
| 15 | Steelton | 6,267 | 0.619 | 40.7% | 19.6% | 37.6% | 0.0% |
| 16 | Harrisburg | 50,092 | 0.618 | 32.5% | 25.0% | 43.9% | 2.6% |
| 17 | Ronco | 45 | 0.618 | 51.1% | 0.0% | 26.7% | 0.0% |
| 18 | Mount Oliver | 3,347 | 0.618 | 48.9% | 5.3% | 36.1% | 0.8% |
| 19 | McKeesport | 17,520 | 0.613 | 47.6% | 4.3% | 38.5% | 1.1% |
| 20 | Roslyn | 10,150 | 0.611 | 54.0% | 13.5% | 22.2% | 1.8% |
Pennsylvania Average Racial Composition
Avg. White
88.6%
across all cities
Avg. Hispanic
4.6%
across all cities
Avg. Black
3.4%
across all cities
Avg. Asian
1.4%
across all cities
Averages are computed as the unweighted mean across all 1,943 cities with data. Population-weighted state-level figures may differ.