Delco Among Top Underage Drinking Counties In PA

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Delaware County is one of the top 10 Pennsylvania counties for underage drinking offenses, according to a new report from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

The report, released in early February, shows counties with the most underage drinking offenses over the past five years.

Throughout those five years, authorities reported 30,393 underage drinking offenses across the state.

Center County had the highest number, with 3,286 total.

But what about Delco?

The data shows 994 underage drinking offenses in Delaware County from 2020 to 2024. Below is the breakdown by year:

• 2020 — 219
• 2021 — 210
• 2022 — 199
• 2023 — 174
• 2024 — 192

In all, Delco's 994 offenses account for 3.27 percent of underage drinking offenses in those years.

Chester County had the highest percentage of the five-county Philadelphia region, with 8.41 percent. Philadelphia had 4.20 percent, Montgomery County 4.17 percent, and Bucks County 2.66 percent.

In Pennsylvania, an underage drinking offense is committed by anyone under the age of
21 who is caught possessing, consuming, transporting, purchasing, or attempting to purchase any
alcoholic beverage.

These figures do not include driving under the influence offenses.

See the full report online here.