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Economic Indicators

Bucks County has been one of the fastest growing counties in Pennsylvania. The County is blessed with an excellent location at the crossroads of major transportation networks and markets. Overall, Bucks County offers a well educated labor force, a low tax system, and an unparalleled quality of life. Bucks County is visited annually by over 7 million people who fall in love the quality and abundance of historical, cultural, and natural amenities and resources.

The vast majority of businesses are small, employing less than three persons. This “smallness” has allowed the County to consistently weather major economic storms, while maintaining higher productivity, higher income, along with lower levels of unemployment than the state and the nation.

The information that follows provides access to institutions that regularly track socio-economic indicators for Bucks County and other geographic areas. The links provide a good point-in-time snapshot of the County’s socio-economic characteristics, while allowing for easy comparisons with other areas. Please note that individual sources of information may be updated throughout the year and/or use different methodology. Questions related to the data itself, should be directed to the applicable individual sources. 

Interactive Maps	Regional Conditions
Quick Profile	Population
Housing	Industry
Top Employers	Labor Force
Employment	Occupation
Income	Productivity
Inflation

 

 INTERACTIVE MAPS

The following links give access to sources of information, which allow for the assembling of maps illustrating different types of information. The maps also allow for the viewing of the information as a map. as a photograph (using satellite imagery), or as both.

• The National Map is maintained by the United States Geological Survey and includes information on boundaries, climatology, elevation, environmental monitoring, hydrography, and land use cover.

• The National Atlas is maintained by the United States Department of the Interior and incorporates a wide array of interactive information, including boundaries, people, climate, transportation, and the environment.

• USDA Soil Maps is a product of the United States Department of Agriculture and provides detailed maps on soils and farming.

• Unemployment Rate Map The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has an on-line mapping system that allows for unemployment rate comparisons across geographic areas. To access information click.

 REGIONAL CONDITIONS

The Federal Reserve provides information about current economic conditions for all of its 12 districts, which include the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. To get a current report of economic conditions click Current Economic Conditions.

 QUICK PROFILE

• State Information: The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry produces an individual County profile on selected economic, geographic, and demographic data. A County profile can be obtained by clicking Bucks County profile.

• Federal Information: The US Bureau of the Census tracks and maintains a number of socio-economic data bases. These include:
  • FedStats offer a summary of select socio-economic variables.
  • Community Economic Development HotReport provides information on economic indicators, including Industry, labor force, population, housing, transportation and community assets.
  • Local Employment Dynamics makes available quarterly updates on employment indicators including job creation, turnover, and earnings.
• Private Industry Information
  • Select Greater Philadelphia is a regional economic development-marketing organization focusing on promoting the economy of the Philadelphia region. It gathers  information on various socio-economic variables at the county level.
  • PECO is an energy provider serving Bucks County. It maintains a profile of economic conditions by County.
  • PP&L develops and maintains a socio-economic profile of the areas it serves, including Bucks County.
  • Real Estate Market Reports offers periodic reports on the current commercial and industrial real estate markets.
  • Indiana University (Ohio) maintains information on a variety of socio-economic indicators, along with comparative county rankings. One of the sources available allows comparisons among geographic areas (up to four). To access source click USA Counties and Metros Side by Side.

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 POPULATION

The U.S. Census releases periodic updates of population estimates at the county level. To obtain a quick tally click Population Estimate.

 HOUSING

• Housing Estimates: The U.S. Census generates estimates of the total number of housing units. To access the information click Housing Estimates.

• Building Permits: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports monthly by county on building permits issued for privately-owned residential units. The information includes the number of buildings, units, and estimated construction costs. To view the information click Building Permits.

 INDUSTRY

The US Census compiles and publishes employment and payroll statistics by county, detailed industry, and employment-size class for a variety of industries including manufacturing, services, retail. For information click County Business Patterns.

 TOP EMPLOYERS

Pennsylvania collects data on a quarterly basis on its top 50 employers by County, in terms of the number of employees covered under state or federal unemployment compensation. To view the information click Top 50 Employers.

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 LABOR FORCE

• Labor Force: The term “Labor Force” is generally defined as all of the people above the age of 16 who are employed or unemployed (but actively seeking work). Labor Force data is updated monthly. By PA’s Center for Workforce Information. When on the site, scroll down to the bottom of the webpage and choose between PDF or Excel to view the information.

• Labor Force Projections: Pennsylvania maintains labor force projections. The information is, perhaps, the best available to understand general employment trends by industry. To view the information click Labor Force Projections.

 EMPLOYMENT

• County Employment and Unemployment Statistics: The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry reports employment and unemployment statistics periodically by county geographic area. For information click paworkstats.

• Regional/National Statistics: Regional and national employment statistics can be obtained by clicking Current Employment Statistics.

 OCCUPATION

• Priority Occupations: The state of Pennsylvania terms certain occupations as “High Priority Occupations.” Priority occupations typically require higher skills and are more likely to pay a life sustaining wage. For information click High Priority Occupations by Region.

• Occupational Projections: Pennsylvania prepares and updates labor projections by occupation. The data is useful in understanding potential job growth by occupation. To view the data click Long Term Occupational Employment Projections.

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 INCOME

• Wage Data: The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry publishes information on hourly wage data, including entry level, experienced, average, and range. To view the information click Occupational Wages.

• Personal Income: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information on personal income for various geographic areas. To access the information click Local Area Personal Income.

 PRODUCTIVITY

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics produces quarterly and annual productivity information, along with unit labor costs for non-farm business, and manufacturing sectors. To access the information click Productivity and Labor Costs.

 INFLATION

Inflation can generally be defined as a sustained increase in the overall level of prices. The rate of inflation is tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To access the information click on Inflation.

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