Select an ancestry nationality. Then, click on any Pennsylvania county to see data about its population's ancestry.
Ancestries: Irish English German Italian
| 2.1% - 4.5% | |
| 4.51% - 5.5% | |
| 5.51% - 7.5% | |
| 7.51% - 9.0% | |
| 9.01% - 16.3% |
The four foriegn cultures presented here hold the top positions in the list of cultures that have contributed to the US population. The US Census and the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey record ancestries as how the individual filling out the census questionnaire chooses to respond to the question; the percentages listed here and in the map are not based on any oher research. The numbers recorded in this map are significantly below the corresponding data from the 2000 US Census, for example. The ancestry with the largest share of the American population is "American." Of course, marriages have brought together different ancestries, with the likelihood that anyone will marry within their cultural ancestry decreasing with every generation.
According to the US Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey, 4.16% of Americans list Irish as their primary ancestry. This is the second highest of any foreign country-specific ancestry. In 2000 people declaring Irish ancestry were 16.2% of the US population.
| Counties with the Highest Percentages | Counties with the Lowest Percentages | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County | 29.1% | Somerset County | 8.7% |
| Potter County | 26.6% | Juniata County | 7.1% |
| Lackawanna County | 25.4% | Union County | 7.1% |
| Bucks County | 25.3% | Snyder County | 6.4% |
| Pike County | 23.7% | Allegheny County | 1.8% |
Data source: 2000 US Census.
US maps source: Esri, Inc..
PA map source: PA Spatial Data Access.
Map and webpage created by: Kevin McDevitt, Fall 2011.
Modifications by: Dr. Geiger 2016, 2021.