Elk County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 30,990. Its county seat is Ridgway. The county was created on April 18, 1843, from parts of Jefferson, Clearfield, and McKean Counties. Elk County is named for the now-extinct eastern elk (Cervus canadensis) that historically inhabited the region. The county is part of the North Central region of the commonwealth.
The county is notable for having one of the highest concentrations of Catholics in the United States, with 69% of the county's residents identifying as Catholic.
Geography Elk County consists of low rolling hills, carved by frequent drainages and heavily wooded.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water. Elk has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Ridgway range from 23.2 °F in January to 67.4 °F in July, while in Saint Marys they range from 22.6 °F in January to 66.8 °F in July.
Adjacent counties McKean County - north Cameron County - east Clearfield County - south Jefferson County - southwest Forest County - west Warren County - northwest
National protected area Allegheny National Forest (part)
State protected areas Bendigo State Park Elk State Park
Major highways
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Elk County, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)38,16734,67734,64331,34529,46699.55%99.42%98.66%98.12%95.08%Black or African American alone (NH)13154785740.03%0.04%0.13%0.27%0.24%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)19293232160.05%0.08%0.09%0.10%0.05%Asian alone (NH)6098120951130.16%0.28%0.34%0.30%0.36%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census14512xx0.04%0.02%0.04%Other race alone (NH)1631114460.04%0.01%0.03%0.04%0.15%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census103187969xx0.29%0.59%3.13%Hispanic or Latino (any race)63561421832940.16%0.16%0.40%0.57%0.95%Total38,33834,87835,11231,94630,990 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 30,990, a population density of , and 16,836 housing units at an average density of .
The median age was 48.0 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.0 males age 18 and over.
44.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 55.9% lived in rural areas.
There were 13,590 households in the county, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.0% were married-couple households, 20.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 16,836 housing units, of which 19.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.1% were owner-occupied and 21.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%.
The racial makeup of the county was 95.4% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.3% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 0.9% of the population.
2000 census As of the 2000 census, there were 14,124 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.
The 2000 census reported that the county population contained 24.00% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.
Economy As of the 2021 ACS 5-Year Estimates, Elk County's largest industry and source of employment is manufacturing, with the second largest being educational services, healthcare, and social services.
Government and politics
Voter demographics Elk County used to be competitive in statewide and national elections. The county frequently voted with the eventual winner of national elections, from 1920 to 2008, except for 1928, 1940, and 1968. In the 21st century, its Catholic identity has been replaced by its rural identity in defining how it votes; its longtime Democratic voter registration advantage was taken over by Republicans in 2018. The county voted for Mitt Romney by 16 points in 2012, then swung over 25 points to the right and voted for Donald Trump by 42 points in 2016, before swinging further right in 2020 and voting for Trump by 45 points. Voter registration and party enrollmentAs of May 18, 2026PartyNumber of VotersPercentageRepublican12,12359.20%Democratic5,81728.40%Independent1,7498.54%Third Party7873.84%Total20,476
County commissioners M. Fritz Lecker, Republican Matthew G. Quesenberry, Democrat Gregory J. Gebauer, Republican
Other county offices Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary, Susanne Schneider, Republican Coroner, Michelle Muccio, Republican District Attorney, Beau Grove, Republican Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds, Lee Neureiter, Republican Sheriff, Todd Caltagarone, Republican Treasurer, Matthew Frey, Republican Board of Auditors, Sandra A. Caltagarone, Republican; Jean Zore, Republican; Siobhan Voss, Democrat
State representative Mike Armanini, Republican, 75th district
State senator Cris Dush, Republican, 25th district
United States representative Glenn "G.T." Thompson, Republican, 15th district
United States senators
John Fetterman, Democrat Dave McCormick, Republican
Education
Community education center The Community Education Center of Elk and Cameron Counties (or CEC) provides credit, non-credit, and enrichment programs.
Public school districts School districts include: - Text list Brockway Area School District Forest Area School District Johnsonburg Area School District Kane Area School District Ridgway Area School District Saint Marys Area School District
Private schools
Elk County Catholic High School St Boniface School - Kersey St Leo School - Ridgway St Marys Catholic Elementary School = Saint Marys St Marys Catholic Middle School = Saint Marys North Central Workforce Investment Board - Ridgway Anne Forbes Nursery School - Ridgway
Libraries
Elk County Library System - Saint Marys Johnsonburg Public Library - Johnsonburg Ridgway Free Public Library - Ridgway Saint Marys Public Library - Saint Marys Tri State Coll Library Co-Op - Rosemont Wilcox Public Library - Wilcox
Communities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs, and townships are located in Elk County:
City St. Marys
Boroughs Johnsonburg Ridgway (county seat)
Census-designated places Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well. Byrnedale Force James City Kersey Weedville Wilcox
Unincorporated communities Arroyo Dagus Mines Loleta Portland MillsPortland Mills PA (Google Maps - accessed 11 November 2019)
Townships
Benezette Fox Highland Horton Jay Jones Millstone Ridgway Spring Creek
Former Townships
Benzinger - consolidated with St. Marys borough in 1992.
Population ranking The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Elk County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation (2010 Census) 1 St. Marys City 13,070 2 † Ridgway Borough 4,078 3 Johnsonburg Borough 2,483 4 Kersey CDP 937 5 Weedville CDP 542 6 Byrnedale CDP 427 7 Wilcox CDP 383 8 James City CDP 287 9 Force CDP 253
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Elk County, Pennsylvania
References
External links Elk County website