Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia : M : MO : MON : Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2000, the population was 750,097. A 2005 U.S. Census estimate placed the population at 795,618. The county seat is Norristown.
The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part of Philadelphia County. It is believed to have been named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada, but it is not certain that this is the origin of the name.
Montgomery County is a suburban county northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Delaware Valley and marks the region's northern border with the Lehigh Valley region of the state.
It is the third largest county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by population. It is also the 44th wealthiest county in the country.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,262 km² (487 mi²). 1,251 km² (483 mi²) of it is land and 11 km² (4 mi²) of it (0.89%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Lehigh County (north)
- Bucks County (northeast)
- Philadelphia County (southeast)
- Delaware County (southwest)
- Chester County (west)
- Berks County (northwest)
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 750,097 people, 286,098 households, and 197,693 families residing in the county. The population density was 599/km² (1,553/mi²). There were 297,434 housing units at an average density of 238 units/km² (616 units/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was:- 86.46% White
- 7.46% African American
- 4.02% Asian
- 2.04% Hispanic
- 1.16% Mixed Race
- 0.75% other races
- 0.11% Native American
- 0.03% Pacific Islander
There were 286,098 households out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $60,829, and the median income for a family was $72,183. Males had a median income of $48,698 versus $35,089 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,898. About 2.80% of families and 4.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.60% of those under age 18 and 5.10% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Montgomery County is a suburb of Philadelphia and consequently, many of its residents work in the city. However, Montco is also a major employment center with large business parks in Lansdale, Fort Washington, Horsham and King of Prussia which attract thousands of workers from all over the region. The stong job base and taxes generated by those jobs have resulted in Montgomery County receiving the highest credit rating of 'AAA' from Standard and Poor's, one of less than 30 counties in the nation with such a rating.Major employers include:
- Merck
- Prudential
- Jefferson Health System
- Abington Memorial Hospital
- Aetna/US Healthcare
- Lockheed Martin
- Genuardi's Family Markets
- Quest Diagnostics
- Holy Redeemer Hospital
- Johnson & Johnson - McNeil Pharmaceuticals
Population growth
Montgomery County's population is accelerating due to the presence of expressways such as the Schuylkill Expressway, Pennsylvania Turnpike, Dekalb Pike (US 202), and others. These roads carry about 1.4 million commuters through Montgomery County every day[link], and allow easy commutes to Philadelphia. Many residents are drawn to the county by its low taxes, jobs, housing, and proximity to Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington D.C. The county has millions of square feet of retail and office space. Shopping Centers, high rises, corporate centers, and freeways dot the landscape of the county.Politics
| Year | GOP | Dems |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 44.0% ''174,741 | 55.6% ''222,048 |
| 2000 | 43.8% ''145,623 | 53.5% ''177,990 |
| 1996 | 41.2% ''121,047 | 48.9% ''143,664 |
| 1992 | 39.5% ''125,704 | 42.9% ''136,572 |
| 1988 | 60.2% ''170,294 | 38.8% ''109,834 |
| 1984 | 64.2% ''181,426 | 35.3% ''99,741 |
| 1980 | 57.8% ''156,996 | 31.0% ''84,289 |
| 1976 | 56.9% ''155,480 | 41.2% ''112,644 |
| 1972 | 64.3% ''173,662 | 34.1% ''91,959 |
| 1968 | 54.3% ''141,621 | 39.3% ''102,464 |
| 1964 | 43.0% ''102,714 | 56.7% ''135,657 |
| 1960 | 60.7% ''142,796 | 39.2% ''92,212 |
As of November 2004, 47.6% of registered voters in Montgomery County are Republicans, 37.9% are Democrats and 14.5% are other or unaffiliated. While Republicans have dominated county politics, the Democratic Party has made significant gains in the county over the last 20 years. Most county-level offices are held by Republicans. However, the Republican Presidential candidate has not won Montco since 1988. In addition, the traditionally-Republican 13th Congressional District has been won by the Democrats in five of the last seven elections. Democrats have also won significant elections for the Pennsylvania General Assembly in recent years, including two GOP-leaning State House districts in 2004, the 148th with Mike Gerber and the 153rd with Josh Shapiro.
Montgomery County is governed by a three-person County Commission. The current composition is two Republicans and one Democrat. By law, the County Commission must have one member of the minority party represented. The next elections for Commissioner are in 2007.
The current commissioners are:
- Thomas Jay Ellis - Chair - (R)
- Jim Matthews - (R)
- Ruth Damsker - (D)
Municipalities
Boroughs
Townships
Communities and Census-Designated Places
Education
Colleges and universities
- Ursinus College
- Montgomery County Community College
- Temple University - Ambler and Ft. Washington campuses
- Arcadia University
- Gwynedd Mercy College
- Pennsylvania State University - Abington Campus
- Bryn Athyn College
- Bryn Mawr College
- Haverford College
- Rosemont College
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry
Public School Districts
- Abington School District
- Boyertown School District
- Cheltenham School District
- Colonial School District
- Horsham-Hatboro School District
- Jenkintown School District
- Lower Merion School District
- Lower Moreland School District
- Methacton School District
- Norristown School District
- North Penn School District
- Perkiomen Valley School District
- Pottsgrove School District
- Pottstown School District
- Souderton School District
- Springfield School District
- Spring-Ford School District
- Upper Dublin School District
- Upper Merion School District
- Upper Moreland School District
- Upper Perkiomen School District
- Wissahickon School District
Private secondary schools
- Coventry Christian Schools
- Friends' Central School
- Germantown Academy
- Gwynedd Mercy Academy
- Haverford School
- The Hill School
- La Salle College High School
Night Schools/Adult Education
External links
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