A state full of commuters who work in healthcare: This is Pa. today | The Numbers Racket

By: - February 25, 2019 11:45 am

This week, we’re taking a look at the way Pennsylvanians live, work and go to school.

And while you may have heard tell that agriculture is the Keystone State’s largest industry, some new numbers from theĀ Pennsylvania State Data Center – a treasure trove of numbers for the data nerds among you – tells a slightly different story.

Let’s play the Numbers Racket.

The Employers:

1.04 million: That’s the total number of Pennsylvanians employed by the health care and social assistance industries. And according to the Penn State folks, they’re the state’s largest employer. Sorry, farmers and tourism.

354,025: The total number of employer establishments in Pennsylvania.

14,417: The total number of professional, science and technology establishments in the state.

58,000: The total number of farms in Pennsylvania.

7.63 million: The total acreage of those farms.

$2.03 billion: The value of the state’s top agricultural commodity — milk.

Source: Pennsylvania State Data Center (screen capture)

Some demographics:

12.8 million: The state’s total, estimated population, as of July 1, 2017

51 percent: The 6.53 million women who live in Pennsylvania

49 percent: The 6.27 million men who live in Pennsylvania

72.2 percent: The share of the state’s population who are native-born Pennsylvanians

9.8 million: The 76.5 percent of Pennsylvanians who identify as white

1.4 million: The nearly 11 percent of the state’s population who are black or African-American

940,635: The 7.3 percent of Pennsylvanians who identify as Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

40.7: The state’s median age

Source: Pennsylvania State Data Center (Screen Capture)

A Bit of Income Information:

$75,949: The state’s median family income

$53,292: The state’s per-capita income

About $88,000: The base pay for a rank-and-file state lawmaker. Legislative leaders earn more.

6.42 million: The total civilian labor force in 2017

4.9 percent: The unemployment Rate in 2017

1.6 million: The number of people in poverty

12.5 percent: Pennsylvania’s poverty rate

$756.3 billion: Pennsylvania’s gross state product

Source: Pennsylvania State Data Center (screen capture)

In the Classroom:

90.6 percent: The percentage of Pennsylvanians, aged 25 and older, who are high school graduates and higher

31.4 percent: The percentage of Pennsylvanians, aged 25 and older, with a Bachelor’s Degree or better

1.72 million: Total public school enrollment

254,498: Total non-public school enrollment

1.7 percent: The drop-out rate

$67,535: The average public school teacher salary

66.2 percent: The percent of public school students who are college-bound

Where We Live:

5.7 million: The total number of housing units in the state

5 million: Total households

3.2 million: Family households

68.3 percent: The home ownership rate

75.6 percent: Single-family units

4 percent: Mobile homes

$893: Median gross monthly rent

60.3 percent: Owner-occupied homes with a mortgage

$181,200: Median value of owner-occupied housing

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John L. Micek
John L. Micek

A three-decade veteran of the news business, John L. Micek is the Pennsylvania Capital-Star's former Editor-in-Chief.

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