Erie by the Numbers is an occasional look at what data can tell us about our region.
Erie is comprised of residents with diverse ancestries, but one nationality makes up the county’s largest portion of the population.
According to the most recent United States Census American Community Survey, Erie County is made up of multiple nationalities including German, Irish, Polish, English, French, Scottish, Norwegian and more.
What heritages make up the most of Erie County?
According to the American Community Survey, 24.6% of Erie County residents are of German heritage, 14.8% of Irish heritage and 11.7% are of Italian descent.
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The other heritages most prevalent in Erie County, according to the survey:
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Polish: 11.1%
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English: 8.1%
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French: 1.8%
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Scottish: 1.5%
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SubSaharan African: 0.8%
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Norwegian: 0.2%
Heritage in the city of Erie
In the city of Erie, German ancestry is also the leading heritage.
The top five ancestries in the city of Erie according to the survey include:
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German: 13,762 residents, or 14.8%.
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Italian: 9,483 residents, or 10.2%
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Irish: 8,062 residents, or 8.7%
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English: 4,150 residents, or 4.5%
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American: 2,729 residents or 2.9%
Other heritages in Erie County
For the past 10 years, German ancestry has been the leading ancestry in Erie County. Over the past 10 years, the number of recorded residents in Erie County that have German heritage has ranged from 63,000 to more than 80,000 people.
In the city of Erie during the past 10 years, the number of residents with German heritage ranged from 13,762 (in 2023) to 26,102.
Residents of Erie do have other backgrounds, but the heritages listed above are the most prevalent across the county.
The data also show Erie County residents are of French, Dutch, Greek, Russian and other heritages.
In the city, the data shows that residents are of Arab, Dutch, French, Russian, Scotch-Irish, Scottish, Slovak, Swedish, Ukrainian and other heritages.
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Comparing heritage in Pennsylvania
German heritage is not only the most popular heritage in Erie, it also is the most popular in the state of Pennsylvania.
In Pennsylvania, German ancestry is recorded at 21.8% followed by Irish at 14.6%.
Other popular heritages in the state include:
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Italian: 10.4%
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English: 8.3%
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Polish: 5.3%
Comparing ancestry in the United States
The American Community Survey also shows that German heritage is the most popular across the United States at 12.3%.
The second most popular ancestry across the nation is English at 9.3%.
Other leading ancestries in the United States according to the American Community Survey include:
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Irish: 9.2%
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American: 5.3%
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Italian: 4.8%
Where to celebrate German Heritage in Erie
If you have some German heritage in your family, there are ways to celebrate in Erie.
The German Heritage Society of Erie, DANK Chapter 71, was founded in 1990 and is dedicated to preserving the German heritage and more in Erie.
Today, the chapter meets every third Wednesday of the month at The Brewerie at 123 W. 14th St. at 6:30 p.m. These meetings are free and open to the public but dinner reservations are requested ahead of time.
DANK Chapter 71 is also responsible for the annual German Heritage Festival that is held each year at St. Nick’s Grove at 5131 Old French Road.
The organization can also guide you to more German heritage resources in Erie including history, culture and more.
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at nsorensen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: US Census data: The most common ancestries in Erie
