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Carbon County, PA: population growth, jobs and income

Carbon County gained 159 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.2%).

Carbon County had an estimated 65,868 residents in 2025, up 1.7% (1,103 more people) since 2020. That is faster than Pennsylvania as a whole (+0.5%), and the 18th fastest growth of 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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Data file: the tables in CSV and Excel, no PDF. 3 counties: adds Lehigh County and Luzerne County.

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In the Carbon County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Carbon County plus 15 more figures, ranked against Pennsylvania and the U.S. Three of the 15, free:

  • Median gross rent$994/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes20.8%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months209Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • IRS net movers: people, households and rateIn the report
  • Households and housing unitsIn the report
  • Homes built since 2010, share of all homesIn the report
  • Private business establishmentsIn the report
  • Residents who moved in; 3-year net migration rateIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
See every page of a sample report

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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 470 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out. Counting international arrivals, net migration was about +483.

Private employers had 13,027 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −4.0% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.6% in 2025, 0.8 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 195 new homes in 2025, or 3.0 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $67,554 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +17.3% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,360th.

Part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area.

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Email me when Carbon County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

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Carbon County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202565,868+159
202465,709+266
202365,443−42
202265,485−73
202165,558+793
202064,765–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Carbon County

Carbon County grew by 1,103 people since 2020; the largest part came from domestic migration (+2,801).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−321−1,792
International migrationfrom and to other countries+13+149
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+470+2,801
Census adjustmentbalancing residual−3−55
Total change+159+1,103

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

How Carbon County ranks
MeasureIn PennsylvaniaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth18th of 671,360th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents6th of 67810th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth47th of 672,368th of 3,092
Median household income31st of 671,363rd of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate36th of 672,224th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents7th of 671,133rd of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Carbon County, PA as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. It has everything on this page plus 15 more figures for Carbon County, ranked against Pennsylvania and the U.S. Pay once, no subscription.

Add 2 neighbouring counties for $50: the Lehigh County and Luzerne County reports too, $149 for all 3.

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Preview page 1 of the Carbon County report (free, PDF) · See a full 5-page sample (PDF) · Other counties and options

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Carbon County's population change (+1.7%) was ahead of 2 of its 5 neighbouring counties and behind 3.

4 of its 5 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Carbon County's $67,554 (2020–24).

Carbon County, PA and its 5 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Carbon County, PA This county65,868+1.7%7.13.0$67,554
Luzerne County, PA332,126+2.1%2.60.9$63,691
Lehigh County, PA384,383+2.7%−1.81.0$80,079
Northampton County, PA324,411+3.7%3.43.2$89,184
Monroe County, PA167,179−0.7%3.41.5$83,565
Schuylkill County, PA145,085+1.5%8.71.5$68,313

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

Compare side by side:

All 67 Pennsylvania counties · Every state

Questions

Is Carbon County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 1.7% between 2020 and 2025, about 1,103 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Most recently, between 2024 and 2025 it gained 159 residents (+0.2%). Pennsylvania as a whole changed +0.5% over the same years. That ranks 18th of 67 counties in Pennsylvania for population growth.

How many people moved to Carbon County?

On net, about 470 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate). Counting international arrivals, net migration was about +483.

What is the unemployment rate in Carbon County?

It averaged 4.6% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Carbon County?

About 65,868 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Carbon County?

Private employers there had 13,027 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −4.0% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Pennsylvania

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Pennsylvania county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Carbon County data alerts

Email me when Carbon County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Carbon County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.