With the arrest of Luigi Mangione, Altoona has been in the news lately. He is charged with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. I have covered Johnstown, PA extensively because I live here. Because they are in the news I thought that I would take a closer look at Altoona and Johnstown Pennsylvania.
Census Bureau
According to the Census Bureau’s most recent estimates, 42,788 people live within Altoona, PA’s city limits. They have had a 2.7% decrease since 2020. This is more than double the population of Johnstown proper. Altoona’s population has decreased since 2.7% since the 2020 census. Here is a sample of the statistics:
- The population of Altoona is 89.8% white while 71.5% of Johnstown’s is.
- African Americans comprise 3.3% of Altoona’s population while they make up 15.5% of Johnstown’s.
- Hispanics are 1.8% of Altoona’s population while they are 5.5% of Johnstown’s.
- The median household income of Altoona is $50,171 while it is $34,784 in Johnstown.
- The median value of owner occupied housing units is $113,600 in Altoona. In Johnstown it is $42,100.
- The median gross rent is $789 in Altoona and $616 in Johnstown.
- There are and average of 2.29 persons living in each household in Altoona and 1.97 persons per household living in Johnstown.
- The percentage with a bachelor’s degree or higher is 19.9% in Altoona while in Johnstown it is 14.9%.
- Altoona has 15.0% of it’s population under age 65 living with a disability while in Johnstown, 24.6% lives with a disability.
- Eighteen point eight percent of Altoona lives in poverty while 31.2% of Johnstown’s population does.
- Healthcare and social assistance revenue is $761,144,000 for Altoona and $640,777,000 for Johnstown
This comparison of Altoona and Johnstown shows that Altoona fares better on several measures of well being. Maybe Luigi Mangioni believed he was striking a chord for those who being impoverished by our healthcare system (he did not). Blair County is an average county in Pennsylvania and the U.S. in health outcomes. Mortality has increased there due to the pandemic.