These PA Counties Had The Highest, Lowest Income Growth Last Year

PENNSYLVANIA — During this tumultuous economic period, some parts of Pennsylvania fared better than others.

Newly released federal data shows that personal income, on average, grew throughout the state from 2019-21. But residents in certain counties sustained greater income growth during that period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Personal income grew in 2021 for almost every county in the United States — increasing in 3,075, decreasing in 36 and remaining unchanged in three. But the BEA's data doesn't account for inflation. On Dec. 15, the agency will release information on "real personal income," which will factor it in.

These Pennsylvania counties saw the greatest growth in personal income from 2020-21:

• Bedford County: 8.4 percent ($46,031 in 2020 to $49,916 in 2021)
• Susquehanna County: 8.1 percent ($51,186 in 2020 to $55,354 in 2021)
• Fayette County: 7.5 percent ($47,448 in 2020 to $51,007 in 2021)
• Potter County: 7.5 percent ($47,845 in 2020 to $51,432 in 2021)
• Lehigh County: 7.4 percent ($58,227 in 2020 to $62,537 in 2021)

Personal income grew the least in these Pennsylvania counties during that span:

• Elk County: 0.7 percent ($51,310 in 2020 to $51,653 in 2021)
• Fulton County: 3.5 percent ($48,242 in 2020 to $49,929 in 2021)
• Cumberland County: 3.8 percent ($61,296 in 2020 to $63,650 in 2021)
• Centre County: 4.4 percent ($52,699 in 2020 to $54,994 in 2021)
• Forest County: 4.5 percent ($28,305 in 2020 to $29,573 in 2021)

The average income in Pennsylvania grew 5.9 percent from 2020-21, trailing the nation's 7.5 percent mark.

The BEA's personal-income statistics show the income U.S. residents get from paychecks, employer-provided benefits, business ownership, rental properties, Social Security and other government benefits. Average personal income also grew throughout the nation from 2019-20, despite COVID-19. But many states would've sustained declines in personal income in 2020 without pandemic-related government support, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

In Pennsylvania, earnings also vary significantly by county. Chester County tallied the state's highest-average income at $95,483 last year, while Forest County's $29,573 average was the state's lowest.

Despite overall income growth, inflation has made it harder for many Americans to afford necessities. The U.S. consumer price index hit 7.7 percent in October, relative to a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the figure marked the smallest 12-month increase since January, necessities such as shelter, food and energy remained among the greatest contributors to consumer prices.