Pennsylvania certainly backs up that assumption when you look at its population figures throughout history. To use a generalization, the route which early settlers in the New World took meant that states on the eastern side of the country began to fill up more quickly than those in the west. In 1790 census coverage included all parts of the present State except for the Erie Triangle. In 1792 the acquisition of the Erie Triangle at its northwest corner brought it to essentially its present boundaries. Pennsylvania was one of the 13 original States. Pennsylvania Boundary, Census, and Statehood History In terms of preferred religions across the population of Pennsylvania, 73% are affiliated with Christian based faiths, 6% are affiliated with non-Christian faiths, and 21% are unaffiliated with any religion. In terms of the ratio of females to males, the state is currently at 51.1% females and 48.9% males. The median age of the population in Pennsylvania is approximately 40.6 years of age. Pennsylvania Gender and Religion Statistics In terms of the most populated counties in Pennsylvania, two in particular top the list - Philadelphia County at 1,580,863 and Allegheny County at 1,223,048. A great deal of the state's population is in Philadelphia and its surrounding areas, as the city has a population of 1.56 million.

Pennsylvania is currently the 9th most densely populated state in the country with a density of 283.9 people per square mile. At the 2010 census, it was confirmed that there were 12,702,379 people living in Pennsylvania and that number represented a 3.4% rise in the numbers declared in 2000. Pennsylvania has a relatively small surface area, but like many states on the eastern edge of the USA, it has a relatively dense population by comparison.

Us population density map 1790