The area of Pennsylvania was part of the original territory of the United States. It was chartered in 1681, although New York did not relinquish its claim to the area until the following year. The southern boundary was resolved with the survey of the Mason and Dixon Line in the 1760s. Connecticut had claims to Pennsylvania territory resolved by award of the Continental Congress in 1782. Pennsylvania ratified the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787; it was the second of the original 13 states to join the Union. Pennsylvania assumed generally the same boundary as the present state with the acquisition of the Erie Triangle from New York in 1792. Pennsylvania is one of four states that are legally described as a commonwealth.

Census data for Pennsylvania are available beginning with the 1790 census.

Key Stats

From Census.gov / Data:

Data Tools and Apps - Find information using interactive applications (including the four highlighted below) to get statistics from multiple surveys.

Data Tool: My Community Explorer - This tool combines select demographic, business, and resilience data to help users identify potentially underserved areas of their state, county, and community. Step 1: Select Pennsylvania.

Data Tool: My Congressional District - Access selected statistics about your Congressional district collected through the American Community Survey (ACS) and County Business Patterns (CBP). Pennsylvania selected.

Data Tool: My Tribal Area - Access selected statistics collected for the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population from the American Community Survey (ACS). No Tribal Areas for this state.

Data Tool: QuickFacts - QuickFacts provides frequently requested Census Bureau information at the national, state, county, and city level. Dashboard for Pennsylvania is shown below. Click the tab “TABLE 5” to compare the United States, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg (state capital).

Note: The dashboard above is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image for the full dashboard.

More Stats

From data.census.gov:

Related Information

Profile, Pennsylvania [<1.0 MB]

Note: The profile above is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image for the full profile.

Source: Selected Monthly State Tax Collections.

Monthly Comparisons for Selected State Tax Collections, click on Pennsylvania in map

Source: 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Table DP05, ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates, United States & Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (Annual Estimates of the Resident Population).

Related Information

County Population by Characteristics: 2020-2021

Pennsylvania Counties: 2020-2021

City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021

Pennsylvania Incorporated Places 2020-2021

Source: 2020 Annual Business Survey (ABS).

Table AB2000CSA01, Annual Business Survey: Statistics for Employer Firms by Industry, Sex, Ethnicity, Race, and Veteran Status for the U.S., States, and Metro Areas: 2020, showing Pennsylvania

Source: 2020 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM).

Related Information

Table AM1831BASIC01, Annual Survey of Manufactures: Summary Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries in the U.S.: 2018 – 2020, showing manufacturing in Pennsylvania

Source: 2020 County Business Patterns (CBP).

Table CB2000CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns, by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2020, showing all 2-digit NAICS Codes for Pennsylvania

Source: 2019 Nonemployer Statistics (NES).

Table NS1900NONEMP, All Sectors: Nonemployer Statistics by Legal Form of Organization and Receipts Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2019, showing all 2-digit NAICS Codes for Pennsylvania

Source: Business Formation Statistics (BFS).

Interactive visualization: Annual Business Applications by State and County (Scroll down, then hover and click on Pennsylvania.)

Interactive visualizations: Business Formation Statistics (BFS), U.S. Total and By State (Select Pennsylvania on Monthly Business Applications by State – shown below - and on Monthly Business Formations by State)

Interactive visualizations: Business Formation Statistics (BFS) screenshot

Note: Click on the image above to go to the Business Formation Statistics data page. For the Pennsylvania graphic, scroll down to “Interactive Graphs.” Click on the icon for “Monthly Business Applications by State (BA)” and select “Pennsylvania” in the upper-right drop-down area.

From Census Business Builder: Regional Analyst Edition (Release 4.3):

Region: Pennsylvania

Local Business Profile, All Sectors - Pennsylvania

From Foreign Trade > U.S. International Trade Data:

State and Metropolitan Area Trade Data

USA Trade Online, the Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, you can choose between State Export Data (Origin of Movement) or State Import Data (State of Destination) by Harmonized System (HS) or NAICS. More information is available in the Quick Start Guide.

Source: Monthly State Retail Sales.

Interactive visualization: Monthly State Retail Sales (Hover and click on Pennsylvania.)

From the State Data Center (SDC) Program:

Pennsylvania

From the Library / America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers:

STATE PROFILES: 2020 Census State Visualizations of Key Demographic Trends From the 2020 Census

STATE PROFILES: Pennsylvania: 2020 Census

From the Statistics in Schools (SIS) program:

State Facts for Students, select Pennsylvania

Note: The Pennsylvania page is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image above to go to the “State Facts for Students” main page. Then, use the drop down to select “Pennsylvania” or click “PA” on the map for the full page for Pennsylvania.

From Census.gov > History: