| Bristol Township | |
| Township | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Bucks |
| Elevation | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 17.2 sq mi (44.5 km2) |
| - land | 16.1 sq mi (42 km2) |
| - water | 1.1 sq mi (3 km2), 6.4% |
| Population | 54,582 (2010) |
| Density | 3,439.4 / sq mi (1,328 / km2) |
| Timezone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code | 215 |
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Location of Bristol Township in Bucks County
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Location of Bristol Township in Pennsylvania
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Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
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| Website: http://www.bristoltwp.com | |
Bristol Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 54,582 at the 2010 census, making it the 13th largest municipality in the state. Bristol Township, along with Bristol Borough, is a cultural hub for Lower Bucks County, hosting celebrations of African and Latino heritage. Parts of the township consist of the neighborhoods of Fairless Hills and Levittown, Pennsylvania.
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Bristol Township was originally settled by the Lenni Lenape Indians. It was formed as Buckingham Township in 1692 and was renamed Bristol Township in 1702. The springs at Bath, in Bristol Township, were popular among wealthy Philadelphians for a while, but lost popularity to the ones in Saratoga, New York. The Delaware Canal was built in 1831 and connected Bristol to Easton, 60 miles to the north. Still, until the 1950s Bristol Township was largely agricultural. In 1952 William Levitt began construction of his Levittown, which was located partly in Bristol Township.
In 1961, Bristol gained national attention when the song "Bristol Stomp", by The Dovells hit #2 on the Billboard pop chart. The song remains a local favorite, and it is often played at ceremonies, parades, and sporting events.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 17.2 square miles (45 km2), of which, 16.1 square miles (42 km2) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) of it (6.33%) is water.
Bristol Township is located at a crossroads of U.S. Route 13, Pennsylvania Route 413, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and Interstate 95. Most of these roads mentioned originated as Lenni Lenape river trails along the Delaware River. This has made Bristol Township an ideal location.
| Middletown | Falls | Bordentown Township | ||
| Hulmeville | Tullytown, Florence | |||
| Bristol Township | ||||
| Bensalem | Bristol | Burlington Township |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 1,591 |
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| 1900 | 1,397 | −12.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,992 | 42.6% | |
| 1920 | 5,027 | 152.4% | |
| 1930 | 4,381 | −12.9% | |
| 1940 | 5,857 | 33.7% | |
| 1950 | 12,184 | 108.0% | |
| 1960 | 59,298 | 386.7% | |
| 1970 | 67,498 | 13.8% | |
| 1980 | 58,733 | −13.0% | |
| 1990 | 57,129 | −2.7% | |
| 2000 | 55,521 | −2.8% | |
| 2010 | 54,582 | −1.7% | |
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As of the 2010 census, the township was 77.3% Non-Hispanic White, 10.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% Asian, and 2.8% were two or more races. 7.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[1]
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 55,521 people, 19,733 households, and 14,503 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,439.4 people per square mile (1,328.2/km²). There were 20,486 housing units at an average density of 1,269.1/sq mi (490.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 86.13% White, 8.45% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.85% of the population.
There were 19,733 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $48,090, and the median income for a family was $54,308. Males had a median income of $38,112 versus $28,797 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,090. About 5.4% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Bristol Township students attend schools in the Bristol Township School District, and notable public high schools are Harry S. Truman High School, and the Benjamin Franklin 9th Grade Academy.
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