Blue Bell, Pennsylvania

Blue Bell
Census-designated place
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Montgomery
Township Whitpain
Elevation 358 ft (109.1 m)
Coordinates
Area 5.4 sq mi (14 km2)
 - land 5.4 sq mi (14 km2)
 - water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0%
Population 6,067 (2010)
Density 1,123.5 / sq mi (433.8 / km2)
Timezone EST (UTC-5)
 - summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Area code 215/267, 610/484
Location of Blue Bell in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States

Blue Bell is a census-designated place (CDP) in Whitpain Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,067.

Blue Bell was originally known as Pigeontown, after the large flocks of the now-extinct passenger pigeons that once gathered there. The town was renamed in 1840 after the historically prominent Blue Bell Inn.

Blue Bell is known for its large executive-style homes, major business parks, small community shopping facilities, and small businesses. It is one of the most affluent areas outside of the Main Line communities in the Philadelphia area. In July 2005, Money magazine ranked Blue Bell 14th on its list of the "100 Best Places to Live in the United States".[1]

Contents

Geography

Blue Bell is located at (40.144759, -75.268752)[2]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km2), all of it land.

While the CDP of Blue Bell proper consists of an area roughly centered upon the namesake Inn,[3] in recent years the name "Blue Bell" has become informally synonymous with the larger surrounding area within the 19422 ZIP code, including the communities of Center Square and Belfry.

The boundary between area codes 215 and 610 runs through Blue Bell's center.[4]

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1990 6,091
2000 6,395 5.0%
2010 6,067 −5.1%

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 6,395 people, 1,424 households, and 1,827 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,183.0 people per square mile (456.4/km²). There were 2,503 housing units at an average density of 463.0/sq mi (178.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.32% White, 6.52% Asian, 2.42% African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.22% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.

There were 1,434 households of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.03. \ 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $94,160, and the median income for a family was $106,617. Males had a median income of $75,462 versus $50,481 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $43,813. About 1.8% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

For the population which consists of peoples 25 years and older; 95.6% of residents have a high school diploma or higher, 61.7% has their bachelor's degree or higher, and 23.5% has their graduate or professional degree.

Economy

Blue Bell is home to the global headquarters of Unisys,[6][7] a provider of information technology services and products. Aetna, an insurance provider, also maintains an office in Blue Bell.[8] It also is home to the Montgomery County Community College, Wings Field Airport, and Meadowlands Country Club.

The most common industries for men in Blue Bell include professional, scientific, and technical services (18%), finance and insurance (10%), health care (7%), real estate and rental and leasing (6%), construction (5%), chemicals (5%), and educational services (4%). The most common industries for women in Blue Bell include professional, scientific and technical services (11%), educational services (11%), finance and insurance (7%), chemicals (5%), real estate and rental and leasing (4%), and accommodation and food services (3%).

The two nearest major shopping malls are the Montgomery Mall in North Wales and the Plymouth Meeting Mall in Plymouth Meeting.

Notable residents

See also

References