Metro area profile · Pennsylvania
Erie, PA metro area market data
Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in the Erie metro area, each scored against other metro areas.
- Population, 2025
- 265,832
- −1.8% since 2020
- Households
- 110,587
- Median household income
- $63,354
- +23.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $177,000
- Jobs located here
- 120,819
- Highest market score
- 73
- Real estate, #26 of 387 scored metro areas
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in the Erie metro area by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of the Erie metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
An estimated 265,832 people live in the Erie metro area, in 110,587 households. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of the Erie metro area declined 1.8%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median household income in the Erie metro area is $63,354 a year, 22% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.0% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
Set against the U.S., households in the Erie metro area spend the most on groceries (an index of 99, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on pets (62).
The highest Groundwork market scores in the Erie metro area are for real estate businesses (73), real estate agents and brokers (73) and mortgage brokers and lenders (71). The Erie metro area ranks #26 of 387 scored metro areas for real estate businesses.
The Erie metro area is made up of one county, Erie County. For its number of households, the Erie metro area has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for primary care and pediatric clinics (68% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for mortgage brokers and lenders (74% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in the Erie metro area
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares the Erie metro area with other metro areas for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among metro areas | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate | 73 | #26 of 387 | 174 | 15.7 | Index only | 243 | 72 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 73 | #27 of 387 | 138 | 12.5 | Index only | 243 | 27 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 71 | #26 of 373 | 12 | 1.1 | Index only | 390 | 8 |
| Dry cleaners | 69 | #33 of 272 | 8 | 0.7 | $28M | 179 | 5 |
| Property management | 68 | #42 of 374 | 20 | 1.8 | Index only | 165 | 25 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 59 | #136 of 387 | 146 | 13.2 | $1.5M | 121 | 71 |
| Roofing and gutters | 58 | #128 of 381 | 32 | 2.9 | $9.8M | 115 | 16 |
| Spas and skin care | 56 | #127 of 387 | 61 | 5.5 | $1.6M | 186 | 22 |
| Home repair trades | 56 | #144 of 387 | 132 | 11.9 | $2.4M | 97 | 140 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 55 | #149 of 387 | 86 | 7.8 | $1.4M | 142 | 83 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 55 | #164 of 387 | 224 | 20.3 | $1M | 114 | 85 |
| Pest control | 54 | #142 of 345 | 9 | 0.8 | $14.2M | 139 | 8 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 53 | #176 of 387 | 70 | 6.3 | $4.5M | 94 | 65 |
| Barbershops | 51 | #184 of 387 | 44 | 4.0 | $2.3M | 120 | 4 |
| Nail salons | 50 | #189 of 387 | 33 | 3.0 | $3M | 180 | 24 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 50 | #199 of 387 | 203 | 18.4 | $3.4M | 101 | 65 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 49 | #201 of 387 | 81 | 7.3 | $4.8M | 129 | 57 |
| Convenience stores | 48 | #215 of 387 | 97 | 8.8 | $7.2M | 91 | 22 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 47 | #211 of 387 | 500 | 45.2 | $776K | 117 | 186 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 46 | #197 of 347 | 15 | 1.4 | $5.4M | 134 | 32 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 45 | #225 of 387 | 125 | 11.3 | $3.1M | 102 | 211 |
| Electricians | 45 | #229 of 383 | 30 | 2.7 | $10.4M | 87 | 59 |
| Grocery stores | 43 | #242 of 387 | 74 | 6.7 | $9.4M | 101 | 43 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 41 | #248 of 387 | 1,021 | 92.3 | $380K | 102 | 458 |
| House cleaning | 40 | #267 of 375 | 20 | 1.8 | $6.4M | 100 | 46 |
| Pet stores | 39 | #268 of 382 | 13 | 1.2 | $4.8M | 106 | 8 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 39 | #302 of 387 | 381 | 34.5 | $260K | 122 | 165 |
| Child care and preschools | 38 | #277 of 387 | 57 | 5.2 | $904K | 90 | 69 |
| Gas stations | 38 | #278 of 387 | 72 | 6.5 | $2.8M | 117 | 96 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 36 | #217 of 290 | 8 | 0.7 | $10.6M | 77 | 6 |
| Pizza | 34 | #311 of 387 | 87 | 7.9 | $4.5M | 88 | 211 |
| Tire shops | 32 | #300 of 386 | 37 | 3.3 | $2.3M | 91 | 16 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 31 | #333 of 387 | 98 | 8.9 | $4M | 96 | 65 |
| Gyms | 30 | #347 of 387 | 84 | 7.6 | $972K | 75 | 32 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 28 | #365 of 387 | 159 | 14.4 | $513K | 78 | 55 |
| Laundromats | 27 | #322 of 364 | 26 | 2.4 | $8.6M | 69 | 9 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 26 | #356 of 387 | 104 | 9.4 | $1.2M | 73 | 161 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 26 | #374 of 387 | 60 | 5.4 | $1.4M | 67 | 23 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 25 | #360 of 386 | 50 | 4.5 | $2.4M | 76 | 17 |
| Hair salons | 25 | #376 of 387 | 237 | 21.4 | $419K | 97 | 113 |
| Funeral homes | 23 | #349 of 377 | 38 | 3.4 | $432K | 64 | 21 |
| Insurance agencies | 22 | #354 of 387 | 169 | 15.3 | $935K | 74 | 92 |
| Physical therapy | 20 | #374 of 386 | 92 | 8.3 | $1.3M | 54 | 40 |
| Veterinarians | 19 | #371 of 384 | 41 | 3.7 | $1.5M | 56 | 26 |
| Pet businesses | 19 | #372 of 387 | 120 | 10.9 | $521K | 59 | 55 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 19 | #377 of 387 | 1,245 | 112.6 | $96K | 63 | 375 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 18 | #366 of 387 | 134 | 12.1 | $894K | 50 | 183 |
| Car washes and detailing | 18 | #377 of 387 | 48 | 4.3 | $1.8M | 70 | 18 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 17 | #367 of 381 | 41 | 3.7 | $2.1M | 67 | 28 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 17 | #375 of 386 | 52 | 4.7 | $1.2M | 47 | 21 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 17 | #380 of 385 | 75 | 6.8 | $1.7M | 58 | 107 |
| Chiropractors | 14 | #385 of 386 | 79 | 7.1 | $1.5M | 63 | 46 |
| Auto repair and car care | 13 | #379 of 387 | 449 | 40.6 | $189K | 70 | 175 |
| Auto repair shops | 12 | #382 of 387 | 280 | 25.3 | $303K | 68 | 125 |
| Home inspectors | Not scored | Not scored | 4 | 0.4 | Index only | 174 | Under 3 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | Not scored | Not scored | 2 | 0.2 | $59.9M | Too few | 6 |
Household spending in the Erie metro area
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $84.7M | $766 | 80 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $200.4M | $1,812 | 70 |
| Food away from home | $387.9M | $3,507 | 86 |
| Groceries | $694.6M | $6,281 | 99 |
| Personal care products and services | $99.2M | $897 | 89 |
| Child care and other personal services | $51.5M | $466 | 80 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $81.6M | $738 | 75 |
| Medical and dental services | $119.8M | $1,083 | 84 |
| Pets | $62.6M | $566 | 62 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $224.3M | $2,028 | 99 |
| Vehicle insurance | $157.9M | $1,428 | 73 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $312.3M | $2,824 | 94 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $128M | $1,158 | 82 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $1.8B | $16,530 | 99 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in the Erie metro area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 265,832−1.8% since 2020
- Households
- 110,587
- Median age
- 41.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 68%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 799 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 337
- Median household income
- $63,354+23.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $85,573
- Median home value
- $177,000
- Jobs located here
- 120,819
- Daytime population
- 270,477Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Erie metro area?
These figures cover the whole metro area. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of the Erie metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Counties in the Erie metro area 1
- Erie County, PA269,052 people
Other markets based in Pennsylvania 12
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area6,272,014 people
- Pittsburgh, PA metro area2,439,940 people
- Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area873,603 people
- Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area604,155 people
- Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area569,788 people
- Lancaster, PA metro area557,931 people
- York-Hanover, PA metro area462,924 people
- Reading, PA metro area433,015 people
- State College, PA metro area158,576 people
- Chambersburg, PA metro area157,379 people
- Lebanon, PA metro area144,186 people
- Johnstown, PA metro area131,538 people
Questions
How fast is the Erie, PA metro area growing?
Population estimates put the Erie metro area at 265,832 people in 2025, down 1.8% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 110,587 households. Against the 2015–2019 survey, median household income rose 23.0%, before inflation.
How much do households in the Erie, PA metro area spend?
Households in the Erie metro area spend about $1.8B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $694.6M on groceries and $387.9M on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in the Erie metro area runs highest on groceries (an index of 99, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on pets (62).
Which business types have the highest market scores in the Erie, PA metro area?
Of the business types scored in the Erie metro area, real estate businesses (73), real estate agents and brokers (73) and mortgage brokers and lenders (71) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For real estate businesses, that ranks #26 of 387 scored metro areas.
How does the Erie, PA metro area compare with the U.S.?
Median household income in the Erie metro area is $63,354, 22% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 1.8% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $177,000, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for primary care and pediatric clinics (68% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for mortgage brokers and lenders (74% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. 54 of the 56 business types have a score in the Erie metro area, each ranked against other metro areas.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Erie metro area. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in Pennsylvania · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in the Erie metro area?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of the Erie metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.