Lower Towamensing Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania

Lower Towamensing Township is a township in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,173 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 21.2 square miles (54.8 km²), of which, 21.1 square miles (54.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.24%) is water. It is drained by the Lehigh River, which separates it from East Penn Township, and its southern geographic boundary is Blue Mountain. Its villages include Aquashicola (locally pronounced "ack-wa-SHIK-la,") Christian Corner, Hazard, and Little Gap (which hosts the Blue Mountain Ski Area.) Its highway access is via Route 248, which extends through the southern gorge of the river to connect Lehighton with the Lehigh Valley and has nearby interchanges in Palmerton and Bowmanstown.

Neighboring municipalities

• Palmerton (southwest)
• East Penn Township (west and southwest)
• Bowmanstown (southwest)
• Mahoning Township (west)
• Parryville (northwest)
• Franklin Township (northwest)
• Towamensing Township (north)
• Eldred Township, Monroe County (east)
• Moore Township, Northampton County (southeast)
• Lehigh Township, Northampton County (south)
• Washington Township, Lehigh County (tangent to the southwest)

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 3,173 people, 1,207 households, and 900 families residing in the township. The population density was 150.4 people per square mile (58.1/km²). There were 1,296 housing units at an average density of 61.4/sq mi (23.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.74% White, 0.13% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.04% of the population.

There were 1,207 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $36,414, and the median income for a family was $40,855. Males had a median income of $32,113 versus $23,654 for females. The per capita income for the township was $16,878. About 6.5% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Elisha Marshall, Brevet Brigadier General for the Union Army in the American Civil War^[2]

References