| Northumberland County, Pennsylvania | ||
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Northumberland County Courthouse
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Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
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Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | March 21, 1772 | |
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| Seat | Sunbury | |
| Largest city | Sunbury | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
477 sq mi (1,235 km²) 460 sq mi (1,191 km²) 17 sq mi (44 km²), 3.66% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
94,528 205/sq mi (79.3/km²) |
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| Website | www.northumberlandco.org | |
Northumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was formed in 1772 from parts of Lancaster, Berks, Bedford, Cumberland, and Northampton Counties and named for the county of Northumberland in northern England. As of 2010, the population was 94,528. Its county seat is Sunbury[1]. Northumberland County is a sixth class county according to the Pennsylvania's County Code.[2]
Among its famous residents, Joseph Priestley, the enlightenment chemist and theologian, left England in 1796 due to religious persecution and settled on the Susquehanna River. His former house (originally purchased by chemists from Pennsylvania State University after a colloquium that founded the American Chemical Society[1]) is a historical museum [2].
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 477 square miles (1,236 km²), of which 460 square miles (1,191 km²) is land and 17 square miles (45 km²) (3.66%) is water. By 1813 the area once comprising the sprawling county of Northumberland had been divided over time and allotted to other counties such that lands once occupied by Old Northumberland at its greatest extent are now found in Centre, Columbia, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Union, Clearfield, Clinton, Montour, Bradford, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Tioga, Potter, McKean, Warren, Venango, Snyder, and Schuylkill Counties and the current county is but a fraction of its former size.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 94,556 people, 38,835 households, and 25,592 families residing in the county. The population density was 206 people per square mile (79/km²). There were 43,164 housing units at an average density of 94 per square mile (36/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.09% White, 1.52% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.5% were of German, 12.9% Polish, 9.9% American, 8.2% Italian, 8.1% Irish and 5.8% Dutch ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.8% spoke English and 1.5% Spanish as their first language.
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 17,147 |
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| 1800 | 27,797 | 62.1% | |
| 1810 | 36,327 | 30.7% | |
| 1820 | 15,424 | −57.5% | |
| 1830 | 18,133 | 17.6% | |
| 1840 | 20,027 | 10.4% | |
| 1850 | 23,272 | 16.2% | |
| 1860 | 28,922 | 24.3% | |
| 1870 | 41,444 | 43.3% | |
| 1880 | 53,123 | 28.2% | |
| 1890 | 74,698 | 40.6% | |
| 1900 | 90,911 | 21.7% | |
| 1910 | 111,420 | 22.6% | |
| 1920 | 122,079 | 9.6% | |
| 1930 | 128,504 | 5.3% | |
| 1940 | 126,887 | −1.3% | |
| 1950 | 117,115 | −7.7% | |
| 1960 | 104,138 | −11.1% | |
| 1970 | 99,190 | −4.8% | |
| 1980 | 100,381 | 1.2% | |
| 1990 | 96,771 | −3.6% | |
| 2000 | 94,556 | −2.3% | |
| 2010 | 94,528 | 0% | |
| [4][5] | |||
There were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out with 21.90% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.
As of November 2008, there are 53,983 registered voters in Northumberland County [3].
While county-level politics tend to be competitive, Northumberland is a Republican county in most statewide elections. The margins of victory in the county for the Republican Presidential candidate in 2000, 2004, and 2008 have been 13, 21, and 14 percentage points, respectively. Governor Ed Rendell narrowly carried it against Lynn Swann while Republican Rick Santorum narrowly carried it against Bob Casey in 2006. The only Democratic statewide candidate to carry the county in 2008 was incumbent Auditor General Jack Wagner. In 2011, the election of Stephen Bridy resulted in a three-way split among the county commissioners.
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in one case, a town. The following cities, boroughs, and townships are located in Northumberland County:
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
According to the Office of Child Development and Early Learning of the Pennsylvania Department of Education June 2007 report, Northumberland County is rated at a high risk level for children who are “at risk” and therefore might benefit from more taxpayer funded services. Northumberland County was rated 3.14 ARL, in the highest 25% of counties for average risk level.[6]
SusQ-Cyber Charter School - provided by Intermediate Unit 16 Grades 9-12th
Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16 - The primary service area consists of: Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties in central Pennsylvania. Provides a wide variety of education related services to school districts, private and parochial schools and hame schooled students. Funded by: state and federal grants; state contracts and service contracts. Intermediate units do not have the power to levy taxes. The IU's board is made up of representatives from the schools districts it serves.
data from ies - National Center For Education Statistics - PSS Private School Universe Survey data for the 2007-2008 school year, U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences [4]
Additionally there are nearly 1000 children attending Mennonite and Amish schools per the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16.[7]
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