Clarion is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Clarion to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Residents of the borough have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 14.78 minutes getting to work every day.
The education level of Clarion ranks among the highest in the nation. Of the 25-and-older adult population in Clarion, 46.60% have at least a bachelor's degree. The typical US community has just 21.84% of its adults holding a bachelor's degree or graduate degree.
The per capita income in Clarion in 2022 was $25,864, which is low income relative to Pennsylvania, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $103,456 for a family of four. However, Clarion contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Clarion is a somewhat ethnically-diverse borough. The people who call Clarion home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Clarion residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Clarion include German, Irish, English, Polish, and Italian.
The most common language spoken in Clarion is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.
