Mar 23, 2017 4 min read

Pennsylvania is the sixth-most-populous state in the nation, but it appears to be losing people in two-thirds of its counties.

The Pennsylvania State Data Center and the U.S. Census Bureau released 2016 population estimates for its 67 counties Thursday, which show declines from 2010 in 44 of them. That includes a 3.8 percent dip in Greene County, from 38,686 in 2010 to 37,197, a loss of 1,489 residents.

Washington is among the 23 counties in the minority, showing a slight gain of 0.1 percent over the six years. The data pegs Washington County’s population last year at 207,981, up 133 from its 2010 figure of 207,848.

The data center, based at Penn State Harrisburg, said in a news release the figures “are calculated using administrative records to estimate components of population change such as births, deaths and migration.”

Among counties that experienced an estimated dropoff over the six years, 11 had a bigger percentage decline than Greene. Cameron (8.0 percent) had the worst, followed by Cambria (6.2) and Susquehanna (5.7).

County Commissioner Blair Zimmerman attributed much of Greene’s decrease to setbacks in the coal industry.

“Certainly, with the lack of jobs in the coal industry I can see that decrease,” he said.

Zimmerman said some residents have moved to the South and its warmer climate, and not many people are moving in.

“We have a lot of issues that come into play there – housing, jobs and the kind of jobs we have here,” he said. “But definitely the coal industry has affected it.”

Larry Maggi, chairman of the Washington County commissioners, acknowledged that his county’s increase is modest. But he was gratified that it did not decline during the oil and gas downturn over the past year and a half.

“We’re aware this was a small bump, but at least we’re moving in a positive direction,” he said. “A lot of that is from the energy industry. Although there has been a downturn in that industry, people who moved here liked Washington County and stayed. We’ve added amenities and improved quality-of-life issues.

“We feel like were growing and want to keep increasing the number of people who move here. As long as we do it smartly. That’s our goal.”

Westmoreland, Washington’s eastern neighbor, had the largest numerical loss since 2010. It lost 9,706 residents (355,458 from 365,164), according to the data center. Fayette, also to the east, fell 2.8 percent (from 136,602 to 132,733) over that time.

The numbers also indicate that 47 counties lost population between 2015 and 2016. Allegheny, the commonwealth’s second-most-populous county (12,784,22), experienced the biggest loss over the year – 3,933.

Growth, the figures indicate, is occurring in the south-central and southeastern corridors. Cumberland County experienced a 5.6 percent population bump from 2010, the biggest statewide. Centre (4.8), Lebanon (4.0), Lehigh (3.9) and Lancaster (3.7) followed.