McCandless, Pennsylvania
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McCandless is a township and census-designated place in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 29,022 at the 2000 census. The community was previously known as McCandless Township. On January 1, 1975, the township became a home rule charter municipality with the name "Town of McCandless."[1] Despite the name, it is not legally a town; Bloomsburg, in Columbia County, was incorporated as a town in 1870, and is still recognized by state government publications as "the only incorporated town" in Pennsylvania.[2][3][4]
McCandless is part of the North Allegheny School District and participates in the multi-municipality Northland Public Library.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43.1 km²), of which, 16.5 square miles (42.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.66%) is water.
The municipality lies within the Allegheny Plateau and is characterized by generally hilly terrain. A floodplain lies in the area of Pine Creek, which cuts a deep valley through the central portion of the township.
McCandless is bordered by Pine Township to the north and Hampton Township to the east. The southern border is Ross Township and the western border is Franklin Park borough.
[edit] History
Native American artifacts, primarily Iroquois Nation, have been found in areas of the township. Early written history includes a visit by George Washington in 1753. The first settler was James Duff in 1795.
During the 1800s McCandless was primarily a farming community. During the war of 1812, an important supply route for the transportation of war materials from Pittsburgh to Admiral Perry's forces on Lake Erie passed through the area.
In 1908 an interurban commuter railroad, the Harmony Line, allowed area residents to easily commute to Pittsburgh. A concurrent oil boom resulted in rapid early development, centered around the rail stations in the Highland and Ingomar areas.
By 1931, the Harmony Line had been replaced by the popularity of the automobile.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 29,022 people, 11,159 households, and 7,922 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,754.4 people per square mile (677.5/km²). There were 11,697 housing units at an average density of 707.1/sq mi (273.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 94.58% White, 1.29% Black or African American, 0.05% Native American, 3.19% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 11,159 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $62,159, and the median income for a family was $73,482. Males had a median income of $57,415 versus $33,319 for females. The per capita income for the township was $31,792. About 2.2% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notable people
- Further information: Category:People from McCandless, Pennsylvania
[edit] References
- ^ McCandless
- ^ The Pennsylvania Manual 117
- ^ Pennsylvania Local Government Fact Sheet, 2005
- ^ "Local Government Entities in Pennsylvania" and "Municipal Statistics" in Legislator’s Municipal Deskbook for Pennsylvania
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- McCandless, Pennsylvania is at coordinates Coordinates:
- McCandless official website
- Pennsylvania Code Chapter 23
