Photo: Andrew Bossi · CC BY-SA 2.5At 1.3%, unemployment in Akron is lower than in 92% of U.S. towns
The two grades for Akron are A for jobs and income and B+ for walkability. Only 2% stay in Akron for work; outside it, Manheim Township is the main destination (8%, 7 miles). 9% of workers work from home, against 16% across Pennsylvania.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The work figures that set Akron apart
Inside Akron’s Jobs & income grade
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Akron is better than 88% of U.S. towns, #201 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Unemployment is its strongest input; household income ranks lowest, though still above most U.S. towns ($76,569, U.S. $80,734). It also does well on household income and the poverty rate and job access by car.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Akron could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
In and out of Akron on a workday
On a workday 2,245 residents head out to work, 42 work right here, and 331 people come in from elsewhere.
About 2,200 people are in Akron on a workday afternoon, 47% fewer than live here.
0.16 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
The towns that employ Akron’s residents
Where Akron clocks in
8% of workers
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Inside Akron’s 373 jobs
373 jobs are based in Akron.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Akron, 2013 → 2023: 483 → 373. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Akron’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Commuting from Akron: about 24 minutes a trip
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 7.8 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Akron workers work from home, vs 16% across Pennsylvania. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 1,908 commuters (the 9% who work from home are left out). Across Pennsylvania: 81% drive alone, 4% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
How far Akron’s workers travel
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Getting around Akron: mostly by car
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, Akron is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns, #372 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Both inputs place Akron near the same point nationally.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 2,107 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 0% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 0% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about under 0.1 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 20% of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 3.5% of Akron households have no vehicle (Pennsylvania 10.4%, U.S. 8.4%). 0% of Akron’s commuters take a bus or train.
Ranked on jobs and income, Akron is 498th among 4,023 U.S. towns of 2,900 to 5,500
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverwoods IL | 3,766 | $249K | 0.7% | 0.7% | 2% | A+ |
| 2 | Mission Hills KS | 3,522 | $250K | 1.2% | 0.3% | 2% | A+ |
| 3 | Ho-Ho-Kus NJ | 4,313 | $250K | 0.0% | 1.7% | 6% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 23 | Wallace Township PA | 3,759 | $183K | 1.9% | 0.0% | 3% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 28 | Edgmont Township PA | 4,706 | $137K | 2.4% | 1.1% | 3% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 65 | Pocopson Township PA | 4,480 | $230K | 1.3% | 2.2% | 3% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 496 | Heidelberg Township PA | 3,086 | $113K | 5.7% | 2.1% | 3% | A |
| 497 | St. Charles MN | 4,090 | $96K | 3.2% | 0.0% | 15% | A |
| 498 | Akron PA | 4,093 | $77K | 5.0% | 1.3% | 2% | A |
| 499 | Centre Township PA | 4,264 | $95K | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2% | A |
| 500 | Allen Township OH | 3,670 | $115K | 5.8% | 2.0% | 4% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 4,023 | Lake Isabella CA | 4,059 | $27K | 40.7% | 8.6% | 18% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of Akron, the top three, the last and three more from Pennsylvania.
Work next door: 13% of Akron’s workers
The biggest share goes to Ephrata (6%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Akron workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | – | A | B+ | 24 min | $76,569 |
| Ephrata Township | 4% | B+ | B+ | 24 min | $85,058 |
| West Earl Township | 3% | A− | A− | 21 min | $98,068 |
| Ephrata | 6% | B+ | A− | 23 min | $69,735 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Akron’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Akron: questions
What is the median household income in Akron?
$76,569 (±$6,083) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $77,971 across Pennsylvania and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Akron?
5.0%, against 11.7% across Pennsylvania and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Akron?
24 minutes each way on average, against 26 across Pennsylvania and 26 nationally. 9% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Akron work?
2% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Manheim Township (8%, 7 mi), Lancaster (6%, 10 mi), Ephrata (6%, 2 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Akron walkable?
Akron is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns (Walkability B+): an EPA walkability index of 8.3 out of 20, and 4% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Akron without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 4% of households have no car. 0% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Akron, from the people who make the trip.
More of Akron
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.