Blair County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 122,822. Its county seat is Hollidaysburg. The county was created on February 26, 1846, from parts of Huntingdon and Bedford counties.
Blair County comprises the Altoona, PA metropolitan statistical area. It is also part of the Altoona-Huntingdon, PA Combined Statistical Area, which includes Blair and Huntingdon counties.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.
Features
Brush Mountain
Logan Valley
Morrison Cove
Tussey Mountain
Adjacent counties
Centre County (north) Huntingdon County (east) Bedford County (south) Cambria County (west) Clearfield County (northwest)
National protected area
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (part)
Major highways
Climate
Blair has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb).
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 127,089 people and 52,159 households within the county. The population density was . There were 55,061 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.18% White, 1.68% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 40.0% were of German, 12.2% Irish, 10.7% Italian, 9.9% American and 6.0% English ancestry.
There were 52,159 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 19, 5.9% from 20 to 24, 11.1% from 25 to 34, 19.3% from 35 to 49, 21.4% from 50 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. The population was 48.55% male, and 51.45% female.
2020 census
Law and government
Blair County is a Republican Party stronghold. In only two elections has the Democrat won the vote of the county, and one other election won by the Progressive Party.