Pittston Township, Pennsylvania

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Pittston Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,450 at the 2000 census. Within the township is the borough of Avoca, where the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is located.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 37.2 km² (14.4 mi²). 37.2 km² (14.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.14%) is water. Also known as "Browntown".

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 3,450 people, 1,340 households, and 975 families residing in the township. The population density was 92.8/km² (240.2/mi²). There were 1,437 housing units at an average density of 38.6/km² (100.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 99.16% White, 0.29% African American, 0.09% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.

There were 1,340 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% 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 3.03.

In the township the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $41,339, and the median income for a family was $47,933. Males had a median income of $32,013 versus $22,077 for females. The per capita income for the township was $18,660. About 7.1% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

All of this positive growth does not come without its detrimental impacts, however. Critics argue that the continued growth of Pittston Township has stymied economic revitalization efforts of the downtown business district in nearby Pittston city. Also, traffic congestion along Highway 315, Oak Street, and I-81 is becoming a heated issue to many in the community, as traffic accidents have been on the increase in recent years due to poor infrastructural planning in relation to the growth.

As the housing market in the Poconos continues to heat up with interest from residents in New Jersey and New York, some of the newer developments in the township are also seeing their building lots being snatched up by people from these states as well, as people are willing to commute more than two hours each way to Manhattan in exchange for a better quality-of-life in Pennsylvania. This has resulted in an upswing of new construction in the residential sector of homes in the $250,000-$500,000 range, which are largely unattainable by most local residents. The township, overall, is a very important economic center for both Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties, employing thousands in its industrial parks and strip malls.