Black Health Profile
Black health in Pennsylvania
1,423,032
Black residents (ACS)
11.00%
Of state population
Pennsylvania has 1.4 million Black residents, heavily concentrated in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The University of Pennsylvania Health System, Temple University Hospital, and UPMC anchor the state's clinical care. Temple's Katz School of Medicine runs one of the nation's largest North-Philadelphia-based Black-maternal-health residency training tracks.
The largest Black health disparity tracked on these pages varies by metric. Use the ten topic pages below to see each one cited against the state's primary-source dataset.
On the positive side, every US state now has CDC-funded maternal mortality review committees, and most have at least one HRSA-designated federally qualified health center serving low-income Black residents. The ten facet pages below point to state-specific programs and providers.
Key takeaways
- Black residents: 1,423,032 (11.0% of the state).
- Medicaid expansion adopted.
- Medicaid does not cover doula services.
- Certified nurse-midwife scope-of-practice recognized by Medicaid.
- 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension active.
Health outcomes & coverage
Ten race-stratified indicators drawn from CDC, Census, KFF, and SAMHSA primary sources. Each page links the underlying dataset, compares to the national average, and frames the state-specific drivers and policy levers.
maternal mortality
Black women in Pennsylvania die from pregnancy-related causes at 33.7 per 100,000 live births — 1.8× the US national rate of 19.
Read the maternal mortality breakdown
infant mortality
Black infants in Pennsylvania die before age one at 12.3 per 1,000 live births — compared to the US all-race rate of 5.4.
Read the infant mortality breakdown
cardiovascular mortality
Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality among Black residents of Pennsylvania: 344.1 deaths per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 I00-I99).
Read the cardiovascular mortality breakdown
diabetes prevalence
14.5% of Black adults in Pennsylvania have been diagnosed with diabetes — compared to the US all-race rate of 11.6%.
Read the diabetes prevalence breakdown
breast cancer mortality
Age-adjusted breast cancer mortality among Black women in Pennsylvania: 29.2 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C50).
Read the breast cancer mortality breakdown
prostate cancer mortality
Age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality among Black men in Pennsylvania: 40.5 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C61).
Read the prostate cancer mortality breakdown
life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth for Black residents of Pennsylvania: 73.5 years (US all-race: 77.5).
Read the life expectancy breakdown
uninsured rate
6.6% of Black residents of Pennsylvania have no health insurance coverage — vs. a US all-race uninsured rate of 8%.
Read the uninsured rate breakdown
Medicaid coverage
About 30% of Black residents of Pennsylvania receive Medicaid coverage. Pennsylvania is a Medicaid expansion state.
Read the Medicaid coverage breakdown
mental health access
57.8% of Black adults in Pennsylvania who experienced a past-year mental health need reported not receiving the treatment they needed (SAMH…
Read the mental health access breakdown
Policy context in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has adopted Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid does not currently cover doula services. Postpartum Medicaid coverage extends for 12 months after delivery, the federal recommended standard.
Find Black health providers & resources in Pennsylvania
Counties in Pennsylvania
County-level Black Health profiles for the 1 Pennsylvania county with the fullest race-stratified data and editorial coverage.
Data sources & refresh cadence
- US Census ACS 5-year 2019–2023, Table B02001 (race) & S1903 (income).
- CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death (D69) & Underlying Cause of Death (D76), 2018–2022 release.
- KFF Medicaid expansion and state coverage trackers, Q1 2026.
- SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 state annual.
- HRSA NHSC workforce data, 2024.
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