Snyder County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,736. The county seat is Middleburg. Snyder County was formed in 1855 from parts of Union County. The county is part of the Central Pennsylvania region of the state.

Snyder County comprises the Selinsgrove, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Bloomsburg-Berwick-Sunbury, PA Combined Statistical Area.

History Snyder County was settled in the 1740s by Pennsylvania Germans from Berks and Lancaster counties, and became an independent political unit on March 2, 1855, when formed under part of Union County. Snyder County took its name in honor of the famous citizen and political figure Simon Snyder, who was governor of Pennsylvania for three terms, from 1808 to 1817, and made his home in Selinsgrove. The county seat of Middleburg was laid out in 1800 and incorporated in 1864."Historical Society." Snyder County - Default. Web. October 27, 2011. http://www.snydercounty.org/Depts/Historical_Society/Pages/HistoricalSociety.aspx

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Pennsylvania by area. Snyder County is in the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Mountains. Two parallel mountain ridges, Shade Mountain and Jacks Mountain, run southwest to northeast. Between the ridges are steep hills, gently rolling hills, and flat creek valleys. The Susquehanna River is the eastern border. Snyder County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.

With over 400 active farms in the county, agriculture plays an important role in the economy and environment. Roughly half the county remains forested with both softwoods and hardwoods. These woods provide a place for wildlife to roam which provides for the sport of hunting.

Climate Snyder has a humid continental climate, which is hot-summer (Dfa) except in higher elevations, where it is warm-summer (Dfb). Average temperatures in Selinsgrove range from 27.4 °F in January to 72.8 °F in July, while in Beavertown they range from 26.6 °F in January to 72.1 °F in July.

Adjacent counties Union County (north) Northumberland County (east) Juniata County (south) Mifflin County (west)

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Snyder County, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)33,21536,26036,55938,12736,99298.90%98.85%97.37%96.03%93.09%Black or African American alone (NH)1451432883755040.43%0.39%0.77%0.94%1.27%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)25301543320.07%0.08%0.04%0.11%0.08%Asian alone (NH)51931532112960.15%0.25%0.41%0.53%0.74%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census2511xx0.01%0.01%0.03%Other race alone (NH)336712580.10%0.02%0.02%0.03%0.15%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census154272866xx0.41%0.69%2.18%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1151483686579770.34%0.40%0.98%1.65%2.46%Total33,58436,68037,54639,70239,736 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 39,736. The median age was 40.3 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.7 males age 18 and over.

29.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 70.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 14,753 households in the county, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.6% were married-couple households, 15.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 15,978 housing units, of which 7.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.9% were owner-occupied and 26.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.5% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 39,702 people, 14,414 households, and 9,981 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 14,890 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.42% Asian, and 0.07% Pacific Islander. Two percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino. US Veterans – 2,681. Median household income (in 2014 dollars), 2010–2014 was reported as $48,718, while the per capita income was $23,886. In 2014, the median household income in the USA was $53,700.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 37,546 people, 13,654 households, and 9,981 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 14,890 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.93% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 48.2% were of German, 17.2% American and 5.5% English ancestry.

There were 13,654 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.00% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

Micropolitan statistical area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Snyder County as the Selinsgrove, PA micropolitan statistical area (μSA). As of the 2010 census the micropolitan area ranked 15th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 313th most populous in the United States with a population of 39,702. Snyder County is also a part of the Bloomsburg–Berwick–Sunbury, PA combined statistical area (CSA), which combines the populations of Snyder County, as well as Columbia, Montour, Northumberland and Union Counties in Pennsylvania. The combined statistical area ranked 8th in Pennsylvania and 115th most populous in the United States with a population of 264,739.

Politics

The county is strongly Republican in presidential elections. The last Republican nominee to receive less than 60% of the county’s vote was Bob Dole. In 2008 John McCain received 64% of the county’s vote. In the 1964 presidential election Snyder County was one of only four counties in Pennsylvania to vote for Barry Goldwater, and by 0.6 percentage points shaded Carroll County, New Hampshire as Goldwater’s strongest county in the Northeast. The last Republican presidential candidate to lose Snyder County was incumbent president William Howard Taft when he split the Republican vote with challenger and former president Theodore Roosevelt, who took the county for the insurgent Progressive Party. In fact, no Democratic presidential candidate has been able to claim the county since Pennsylvania native James Buchanan won the presidency in 1856. The only county in Pennsylvania to be more steadfastly Republican (or indeed, remain so one-sidedly partisan for either party in Pennsylvania) in presidential contests has been Snyder County's neighbor to the north, Union County, which voted for John C. Fremont over Buchanan in 1856. Snyder was the most Republican county in Pennsylvania at the presidential level from 1956 to 1996.

The county is located in Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district, which has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+17 and is represented by Republican Fred Keller. As part of Pennsylvania Senate, District 27 it is represented by Republican Lynda Schlegel Culver. The county contains locations in Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 82, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 85, and Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 108. All of these have been represented by Republicans since 1989.

Of "Straight Party" voters in Snyder 73.2% are Republican and 24.65% are Democratic. In the 2008 election Republicans won in all races and in most they won by over 20%. Chris Carney lost by roughly 13% in the countySnyder County election site while winning by 12% in the district.

State representatives Serve two-year terms in Pennsylvania House of Representatives David H. Rowe, Republican, 85th district Lynda Schlegel-Culver Republican, 108th district

State senator John Gordner, Republican, 27th district serves four-year term in Pennsylvania Senate.

U.S. representatives Glenn Thompson, Republican, Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district

U.S. senators Snyder County is further represented by two U.S. senators, which as of 2025, are split between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. John Fetterman, serving since 2023, current term expires in 2029 Dave McCormick, serving since 2025, current term expires in 2031

Boards and agencies Snyder County Conservation District The conservation district is governed by a seven-member board of volunteer directors. The Conservation District is a delegated authority to administer in Snyder County the state Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control (ESPC) program under PA Code Title 25 Chapter 102 and Chapter 105 Rules and Regulations and the Clean Streams Law. Act 217, the Conservation District law, permits conservation districts to charge fees for services, under certain circumstances. Their motto is Conservation Through Education. They offer programs regarding nutrient management, erosion prevention, Improving Dirt & Gravel Roads, and Watershed Protection.https://web.archive.org/web/20070704213509/http://www.seda-cog.org/snyder/lib/snyder/ConsDIst/SCCD_Office_Location_Map.pdf SCCD location map Snyder County Cooperative Extension Board Snyder County Courthouse, Middleburg, PA. Through educational programs, publications, and events, cooperative extension agents deliver unbiased, research-based information to Snyder County citizens. Snyder County Housing Authority's mission is to promote safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, and maintain a good quality of life for Snyder County residents. Provides rental assistance to low income county residents using a voucher system for renting suitable housing. The authority meets on the third Wednesday of each month in the conference room of its Administrative offices located at 106 Drake Court, Middleburg, PA 17842. Denise Miller is the executive director. Phone: 570-837-3979 Snyder County Emergency Services is the public-safety answering point (PSAP) for Snyder County. The office is located at 30 Universal Rd, Selinsgrove, PA 17870. Columbia, Montour, Snyder and Union Joinder Board and Local Emergency Planning Committee Snyder County Agricultural Land Preservation Board