Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

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Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Lackawanna County Courthouse
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lackawanna County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S.
Founded August 13, 1878
Named for Lackawanna River[1]
Seat Scranton
Largest city Scranton
Area
 • Total 465 sq mi (1,204 km2)
 • Land 459 sq mi (1,189 km2)
 • Water 6 sq mi (16 km2), 1.27%
Population
 • (2010) 214,437
 • Density 467/sq mi (180.3/km²)
Congressional districts 10th, 11th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.lackawannacounty.org

Lackawanna County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 214,437.[2] Its county seat is Scranton. It lies northwest of the Poconos.

Lackawanna County was created on August 13, 1878, from part of Luzerne County and is Pennsylvania's most recently established county.[citation needed] It is named for the Lackawanna River.[1]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 465 square miles (1,204.3 km2), of which 459 square miles (1,188.8 km2) is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km2) (1.27%) is water.[3]

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
188089,269
—
1890142,08859.2%
1900193,83136.4%
1910259,57033.9%
1920286,31110.3%
1930310,3978.4%
1940301,243−2.9%
1950257,396−14.6%
1960234,531−8.9%
1970234,107−0.2%
1980227,908−2.6%
1990219,039−3.9%
2000213,295−2.6%
2010214,4370.5%
Est. 2012214,4770.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]
2012 Estimate[2]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 214,437 people residing in the county. 92.0% were White, 2.5% Black or African American, 1.7% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% of some other race and 1.5% of two or more races. 5.0% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 20.1% were of Italian, 19.9% Irish, 13.0% Polish and 11.4% German ancestry.[5]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 465 people per square mile (180/km²). There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 per square mile (80/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.65% White, 1.31% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.5% were of Italian, 21.2% Irish, 15.4% Polish and 10.2% German ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 86,218 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families; 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.40 males.

Municipalities

Map of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Lackawanna County:

Cities

  • Carbondale (18407)
  • Scranton (18503, 18504, 18505, 18507, 18508, 18509, 18510, 18512, 18515, 18517, 18518, 18519)

Boroughs

Townships

Statue of George Washington (dedicated July 4, 1893) at Lackawanna County Courthouse
Scenery in Lackawanna County

Politics

As of November 2010, there are 146,383 registered voters in Lackawanna County.[7]

  • Democratic: 96,471 (65.9%)
  • Republican: 38,297 (26.2%)
  • Other parties and independents: 11,615 (7.9%)

The Democratic Party has been historically dominant in county-level politics.[citation needed] On the state and national levels, Lackawanna County leans toward the Democratic Party. In 2000 Democrat Al Gore won 60% of the vote and Republican George W. Bush won 36%.[8] In 2004 Democrat John Kerry received 56% of the vote and Bush received 42%.[9] In 2006, Democrats Governor Ed Rendell and Senator Bob Casey, Jr., won 70% and 73% of the vote in Lackawanna County, respectively.[10] In 2008 three of four Democrats running statewide carried the county, with Barack Obama receiving 63% of the county vote to 37% for John McCain.[11]

County commissioners

  • Jim Wansacz, Chairman, Democrat
  • Corey D. O'Brien, Vice-chairman, Democrat
  • Patrick M. O'Malley, Republican[12]

Other county offices

  • Clerk of Judicial Records – Mary Rinaldi, Democrat
  • Controller – Gary DiBileo, Democrat
  • Coroner – Timothy Rowland, Democrat
  • District Attorney – Andy Jarbola III, Republican
  • Recorder of Deeds – Evie Rafalko-McNulty, Democrat
  • Register of Wills – Linda Munley, Democrat
  • Sheriff – John Szymanski, Democrat
  • Treasurer – Edward Karpovich, Democrat

State representatives

State senator

  • John P. Blake, Democrat, 22nd district

United States representatives

United States senator

Education

Lackawanna County Workforce investment Board - Scranton

Colleges and universities

Map of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania School Districts

Public school districts

Charter schools

  • Fell Charter Elementary School, Simpson, GR K-8
  • Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School, Scranton, GR PreK-8
  • Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children – public charter school offering pre-K through 12th grade education to eligible deaf and hard-of-hearing children located in South Abington Township, Pennsylvania

Public vocational technology schools

  • Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County

Intermediate unit

Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit #19 (NEIU19) provides a wide variety of specialized services to public and private schools. It serves the school communities of Lackawanna County, Wayne County, and Susquehanna County. NEIU19 is governed by a board of appointed officials one from the elected school board of each member public school district. Among the serves are: professional development programs for school employees, background/criminal screening of public school employment applicants, technology support to the schools, and special education services. The Intermediate Unit coordinates and supervises the Special Education transportation.

Diocesan schools

The county is also served by the Diocese of Scranton. The Diocese of Scranton operates four regional systems of diocesan schools. The Holy Cross School System serves Lackawanna County, and is currently composed of seven elementary centers and one secondary center. The Holy Cross System is the second-largest of the four systems, and Holy Cross High School is the only diocesan high school operating a capacity. The Holy Cross System is the result of diocese-wide consolidations made in 2007 in response to decades of declining enrollment.

As recently as 2000, Lackawanna County was home to four high schools and nearly fifteen elementary schools. While the current configuration of sites and schools educates a fraction of the students once enrolled in Catholic schools in Lackawanna County, vast improvements have been made to the curriculum, and millions of dollars of capital gains have been invested in the buildings and technologies of the schools. As part of the ongoing effort to stabilize enrollment and offer a sustainable school system which is "spiritually sound and academically excellent", the Holy Cross System is embarking on a more aggressive advertising campaign to promote Catholic education and establish stronger and more diverse programs at the elementary level.

Additionally, Sacred Heart Elementary in Carbondale and Marian Catholic Elementary in Scranton were closed in 2011 and were incorporated into LaSalle Academy and All Saint's Academy, respectively. This cut the costs of sustaining two faculties and buildings which collectively operate at less than 50% capacity, and bolster the enrollments of the hubs of elementary education.

  • Holy Cross High School, Dunmore
  • Our Lady of Peace Elementary, Clarks Green
  • St. Mary of Mount Carmel Elementary, Dunmore
  • LaSalle Academy, Dickson City and Jessup
  • All Saints Academy, Scranton
  • St. Clare/St. Paul Elementary, Scranton

Private schools

As reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Education:[13]

  • Abington Christian School, Clarks Green, GR PreK-8 (Affiliated with the Assemblies of God)
  • Bais Yaakov of Scranton, GR 9-12 (All girls Jewish school)
  • DePaul School for Dyslexia, Scranton[14]
  • Friendship House
  • Geneva Christian School, Olyphant, GR PreK-8
  • Giant Steps Child Development Center – Carbondale
  • Kinder Kampus Preparatory Preschool, Archbald, PreK
  • Little People Daycare School, Scranton, GR PreK-KG
  • Lourdesmont School, Scranton, Special Education (Roman Catholic)
  • Lutheran Academy – Scranton, GR PreK-6
  • Marywood – Tony Damiano Early Childhood Center, Scranton, GR PreK-KG
  • Milton Eisner Yeshiva High School, Scranton, GR 9-12 (All boys Jewish school)
  • Montessori Kindergarten, Scranton, GR PreK-KG
  • New Story, Throop, Special Education
  • NHS Autism School, Scranton, Special Education
  • Northeast Child Care Services – Archbald
  • Pocono Mountain Bible Conference – Gouldsboro
  • Revival Baptist Christian School, Scranton, GR K-12
  • Scranton Hebrew Day School, Scranton, GR K-8
  • Scranton Preparatory School, Scranton, GR 9-12 (Affiliated with the Society of Jesus)
  • St. Gregory's Early Childhood Center, Clarks Green, GR PreK-KG
  • St. Stanislaus Elementary School, Scranton, GR K-8 (Polish National Catholic Church)
  • Summit Christian Academy, South Abington Township, PreK-12
  • Triboro Christian Academy, Old Forge, K-12, It participates in the state's Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) annual testing

Libraries

  • Abington Community Library – Clarks Summit
  • Carbondale Public Library – Carbondale
  • Children's Library – Scranton
  • Dalton Community Library – Dalton
  • Medical Library – Scranton
  • Nancy Kay Holmes Branch – Scranton
  • North Pocono Public Library – Moscow
  • Scranton Public Library – Scranton
  • Taylor Community Library – Taylor
  • Valley Community Library – Peckville
  • Waverly Memorial Library – Waverly

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 David Craft (1891). History of Scranton, Penn: With Full Outline of the Natural Advantages, Accounts of the Indian Tribes, Early Settlements, Connecticut's Claim to the Wyoming Valley, the Trenton Decree, Down to the Present Time. H. W. Crew. pp. 18–. Retrieved 19 March 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2013. 
  3. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  4. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved November 17, 2013. 
  5. ↑ "American FactFinder"
  6. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  7. ↑ http://www.dos.state.pa.us/elections/lib/elections/055_voter_registration_statistics/currentstats/currentvotestats.xls
  8. ↑ "Commonwealth of PA – Elections Information". Retrieved 2009-03-10. 
  9. ↑ "Commonwealth of PA – Elections Information". Retrieved 2009-03-10. 
  10. ↑ "Commonwealth of PA – Elections Information". Retrieved 2009-03-10. 
  11. ↑ "Commonwealth of PA – Elections Information". Retrieved 2009-03-10. 
  12. ↑ "Patrick M. O’Malley". Lackawanna County. Retrieved 7 July 2013. 
  13. ↑ PDE. "Education Names & Addresses". 
  14. ↑ http://www.allied-services.org/our-services/community-services/depaul-school-for-dyslexia/

Further reading

  • Aileen Sallom Freeman and Jack McDonough, Lackawanna County: An Illustrated History. Montgomery, AL: Community Communications, 2000.
  • Thomas F. Murphy, Jubilee History: Commemorative of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Creation of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania: Story of Interesting Events from Indian Occupancy of Valley, Connecticut Settlement, Organization of Luzerne County, Start of Anthracite Industry, and Forty Years Effort to Establish Lackawanna County Topeka, KS: Historical Publishing Co., 1928.
  • Portrait and Biographical Record of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. New York: Chapman Publishing Co., 1897.

External links

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Coordinates: 41°26′N 75°37′W / 41.44°N 75.61°W / 41.44; -75.61

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