Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Wilkes-Barre Township is a township in Luzerne County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 3,235 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the township has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.7 km²), all of it land. It is crossed NE-to-SW by Interstate 81
/Route 309
and Business Route 309 (Wilkes-Barre Township Boulevard.) 81 has two interchanges in the township: one at the SW end with 309 and one in the central portion near the arena. Other important roads are Kidder Street, Mundy Street, Highland Park Boulevard/Coal Street, Northampton Street, and Blackman Street. Its only village is Georgetown on Northampton Street.
of 2000, there were 3,235 people, 1,455 households, and 846 families residing in the township. The population density
was 1,093.2 people per square mile (422.0/km²). There were 1,572 housing units at an average density of 531.2 per square mile (205.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 92.92% White, 2.35% African American
, 0.22% Native American, 3.62% Asian, 0.09% from other races
, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 1,455 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the township the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $30,603, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $30,806 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $20,055. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
. The township has become a well-known place in Northeastern Pennsylvania, adding the Wachovia Arena in addition to several major shopping hubs, including the "Arena Hub Plaza" & "Wilkes-Barre Township Commons" & "Highland Park Blvd. Plaza" & the Wyoming Valley Mall, with major retail outlets and chain restaurants. A majority of these shopping powerhouses were developed in the early 2000s, although the Wyoming Valley Mall was constructed in the 1970s following the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes
. Officials of the city of Wilkes Barre have cried foul over the years, claiming that the township has stolen thousands of jobs from the city. In December 2005, the township complained that the city stole about 400 jobs from them in creating a new state office in the downtown area of the city. This bickering has led some to believe (or at least hope for) a possible annex of the township to the city, which would at least benefit the latter. However, a majority of locations in the township are addressed as Wilkes-Barre, not Wilkes-Barre Township. Recently, it was announced that the Wyoming Valley Mall will face major renovation and remodeling 1.
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,235 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Wilkes-Barre Township is located at 41°13′40"N 75°52′5"W (41.227931, -75.868282).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.7 km²), all of it land. It is crossed NE-to-SW by Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
/Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
and Business Route 309 (Wilkes-Barre Township Boulevard.) 81 has two interchanges in the township: one at the SW end with 309 and one in the central portion near the arena. Other important roads are Kidder Street, Mundy Street, Highland Park Boulevard/Coal Street, Northampton Street, and Blackman Street. Its only village is Georgetown on Northampton Street.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,235 people, 1,455 households, and 846 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,093.2 people per square mile (422.0/km²). There were 1,572 housing units at an average density of 531.2 per square mile (205.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 92.92% White, 2.35% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.22% Native American, 3.62% Asian, 0.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
There were 1,455 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the township the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $30,603, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $30,806 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $20,055. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
City vs Township
In the last five to ten years, the township of Wilkes Barre has become much more successful than the city of Wilkes-BarreWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
. The township has become a well-known place in Northeastern Pennsylvania, adding the Wachovia Arena in addition to several major shopping hubs, including the "Arena Hub Plaza" & "Wilkes-Barre Township Commons" & "Highland Park Blvd. Plaza" & the Wyoming Valley Mall, with major retail outlets and chain restaurants. A majority of these shopping powerhouses were developed in the early 2000s, although the Wyoming Valley Mall was constructed in the 1970s following the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
. Officials of the city of Wilkes Barre have cried foul over the years, claiming that the township has stolen thousands of jobs from the city. In December 2005, the township complained that the city stole about 400 jobs from them in creating a new state office in the downtown area of the city. This bickering has led some to believe (or at least hope for) a possible annex of the township to the city, which would at least benefit the latter. However, a majority of locations in the township are addressed as Wilkes-Barre, not Wilkes-Barre Township. Recently, it was announced that the Wyoming Valley Mall will face major renovation and remodeling 1.