This Is The Least Educated Metro Area In Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre PA

13 September, 2021

1:14 PM

Description

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. Wilkes-Barre 2021-09-13 College enrollment has declined steadily in the United States in recent years. With rising tuition costs and surging student debt, enrollment has fallen by an average of nearly 2% a year since 2010. While four years of higher education may not be for everyone, Americans without a bachelor's degree tend to be far more limited in their career opportunities, job security, and earning potential. Nationwide, an estimated 33.1% of American adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher. Educational attainment rates vary considerably across the country, however, and in nearly every state, there is at least one metro area where the share of adults with a bachelor's degree is well below the national average. In the Johnstown metro area, located in Pennsylvania, only 20.6% of the adult population have a bachelor's degree, the smallest share of any metro area in the state. Meanwhile, across Pennsylvania, 32.3% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher. The average weekly wage for a college-educated worker in the United States is about 67% higher than it is for those with no more than a high school diploma — and in places with lower educational attainment, incomes also tend to be lower than average. In the Johnstown metro area, the typical household earns $49,076 per year, less than the median household income across Pennsylvania of $63,463. All data in this story are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.     Can't see the article's infographic? Click here to view the original story.This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.