Rural Pennsylvania population loss: Oil City/Venango County

 

Venango County's population peaked at 65,328 in 1950 and has declined 37% since then.  The county now has fewer residents than it did in the 1880s.  (Same as Oil City, its largest city.)

 

Source:  Wikipedia

 

Daily Yonder, 6/25/2024

And the issue isn’t just about how many people a county could lose, but how its demographics would change as a result. 

Rural Venango over the age of 65 could soon outnumber those under 20, the Center’s report found, raising questions about how to care for aging residents amid a shrinking workforce.

% of population 65 and older:

• 25.8% - Venango County
• 20.0% - Pennsylvania
• 17.7% - U.S.

% of population under 18:

• 20.3% - Venango County
• 19.3% - Pennsylvania
• 21.7% - U.S.

Oil City's population peaked at 22,075 in 1930 and has declined 57% since then.

Source:  Wikipedia

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