Leaving Act 47 Rankings show Johnstown's opportunities, challenges

Dave Sutor, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·3 min read

Apr. 28—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Two organizations recently released separate rankings that highlighted the dichotomy of Johnstown as the city officially leaves Pennsylvania's Act 47 program for financially distressed municipalities.

One was subjective and optimistic — FamilyDestinationsGuide.com polled 3,000 families and named Johnstown as the 14th-best small town to visit on a list topped by Holualoa, Hawaii.

The city was described as a place where the "picturesque rolling hills and the mighty Conemaugh River blend to create a truly unforgettable experience" that is "ideal for families and anyone looking for unique destinations."

In contrast, Smartest Dollar's assessment was objective and more concerning.

Using economic analysis, the group showed that Johnstown's gross domestic product of $39,323 per capita ranked 194th among the nation's 206 small metropolitan areas. By comparison, Midland, Texas was first among metro areas with a population between 100,000 and 349,999 residents, with a GDP of $242,730 per person.

Johnstown ranked 341st out of all 357 metro areas.

Randy Frye, dean of St. Francis University's business school, pointed to multiple factors that likely contributed to the low GDP in the Johnstown metro area, which consists of all Cambria County.

The county lost 7.1% of its population between 2010 and 2020, leaving approximately 133,000 people. Almost one-quarter of the county's population is 65 years or older, and only approximately 50% of the eligible workforce between the ages of 16 and 65 is employed, Frye said.

Johnstown proper has gone from more than 67,000 residents in 1920, to about 27,000 when it entered Act 47 in 1992, to 18,411 in the 2020 U.S. Census. One-third of the city's residents live in poverty.

"I'm not real happy with the lower GDP, but I think it can be explained, at least in part, by demographics," Frye said. "(There are) fewer people — declining number of adults working because your overall population is declining — then you have a lot of older folks, and then you have people who are on the sidelines and aren't in the workforce."

Frye said the region needs to "stabilize population by keeping more of our young people here and attracting those who left to return."

No solutions have been found over the past century to stop the population drain, which has led to issues with shrinking tax bases, blight, crime and poverty.

The latest effort is to market the region as a location for outdoor recreation featuring kayaking, hiking and biking; festivals such as the Thunder in the Valley motorcycle rally and the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival; and the arts.

"Really, from a travel tourism standpoint, the things that we have, the museums that we have, the cultural sites, the events and activities, that does bring a lot into the city itself and it supports the businesses," said Lisa Rager, executive director of Visit Johnstown, an organization that promotes local tourism. "And that, in turn, actually supports the city and helps with the tax base. The experiences here are wonderful."

Visit Johnstown recently launched a "Simply Incredible" rebranding effort with the goal of making Johnstown "a different place in the years going forward," Rager said.

"The rebrand is just about changing the perceptions of Johnstown and getting people to see it for what it is in terms of these assets that we have that people are interested in and people will be drawn to — whether it is to visit, or to work, or to start a business, or what have you," Rager said. "Our goal is to import people into the community, import cash into the community."