Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and part of the Pennsylvania Main Line. As of the 2000 census, the township had a total population of 59,850, thereby ranking ninth in Pennsylvania municipalities by population.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 61.8 km² (23.9 mi²). 61.4 km² (23.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (0.67%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 59,850 people, 22,868 households, and 15,024 families residing in the township. The population density was 975.4/km² (2,526.1/mi²). There were 23,699 housing units at an average density of 386.2/km² (1,000.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.30% White, 4.50% African American, 0.08% Native American, 3.42% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 22,868 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64 and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $86,373 and the median income for a family was $115,694. Males had a median income of $77,692 versus $43,793 for females. The per capita income for the township was $55,526. About 1.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Communities
Lower Merion Township is the heart of the affluent Pennsylvania Main Line series of suburban communities, named after the "Main Line" railroad that runs through the township. Now known as the SEPTA R5 regional rail train, the rail line has station stops in Lower Merion in the following communities within the township:
- Merion Station in Merion
- Wynnewood Station in Wynnewood
- Ardmore Station in Ardmore
- Haverford Station in Haverford
- Bryn Mawr Station in Bryn Mawr
- Rosemont Station in Rosemont
The SEPTA R6 regional rail train has stops at:
both in Bala Cynwyd
Other unincorporated communities in the township include Belmont Hills, General Wayne, Gladwyne, Penn Valley, and Penn Wynne.
[edit] Interesting Facts
Lower Merion Township was the site of the April 4, 1991 plane crash that killed Republican Senator John Heinz. The plane crash also took the lives of six others, including two first grade Merion Elementary students playing at recess.
Lower Merion is also home to WWII general Henry Arnold, the current Librarian of Congress James Hadley Billington and former Harvard president Lawrence Summers. NBA superstar Kobe Bryant went to high school in Lower Merion, as did the translator Robert Fagles.
Lower Merion is home to the oldest continuously used place of worship in the United States, the Merion Friends Meeting House, used continuously since 1695.
Ronald Reagan's first secretary of state, Alexander Haig, also hails from Lower Merion, as does Houston Astros pitcher Taylor Buchholz.
[edit] Education
Pupils living in the Lower Merion Township attend schools in the Lower Merion School District. The educational roots of the township stretch back to the Lower Merion Academy, one of the first public schools in the country.
There are six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. Students are split between the schools depending on location of residence.
[edit] Notable Graduates
Basketball star Kobe Bryant attended Lower Merion High School. He led the Aces to the state championship in 1996. Producer Marshall Herskovitz was also once a student at Lower Merion High School.
Actor David Boreanaz attended Harriton High School in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. His father, Dave Roberts is a weatherman for WPVI-TV's Action News in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
[edit] Notable Residents
- Samuel Dalembert
- Allen Iverson
- Garry Maddox
- Tim McCarver
- Aaron McKie
- Dr. Marc S. Levine
- Andy Reid
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Chris Webber
- Wes Gunter
- Ed Dvir
- Justin Bresson
[edit] External links
- Township of Lower Merion
- Lower Merion Historical Society
- Lower Merion School District
- Lower Merion Synagogue
