Bradford County, Pennsylvania
In-game article clicks load inline without leaving the challenge.
Bradford County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, its population was 59,967. Its county seat is Towanda. The county was created on February 21, 1810, from parts of Lycoming and Luzerne Counties. Originally called Ontario County, it was reorganized and separated from Lycoming County on October 13, 1812, and renamed Bradford County for William Bradford, who had been a chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and United States Attorney General. The county is part of the Northeast region of the commonwealth.
Bradford County comprises the Sayre, Pennsylvania micropolitan statistical area.
The county is not to be confused with the city of Bradford, which is in McKean County, 141 miles to the west via U.S. Route 6.
History
As noted above, Bradford County was originally named Ontario County. The county was reorganized and renamed in 1812, but a section of north Philadelphia in which major east–west streets are named after Pennsylvania counties retains an Ontario Street, between Westmoreland and Tioga Streets. Two short Bradford Streets are in northeast Philadelphia, about 4 miles from Ontario Street.
Bradford County is the ancestral home of the Tehotitachsae indigenous people of North America. Their principal village, Gohontoto, was on the site of the present Borough of Wyalusing.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,161 square miles (3,010 km2), of which 1,147 square miles (2,970 km2) are land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (1.2%) are covered by water. It is the second-largest county in Pennsylvania by land area and third-largest by total area.
Climate
Bradford has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Towanda range from 24.5 °F in January to 70.6 °F in July.
Adjacent counties
- Chemung County, New York (northwest)
- Tioga County, New York (northeast)
- Susquehanna County (east)
- Wyoming County (southeast)
- Sullivan County (south)
- Lycoming County (southwest)
- Tioga County (west)
Bradford County is one of the few counties in the US to border two counties of the same name in different states (Tioga County in New York and Pennsylvania).
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 11,554 | — | |
| 1830 | 19,746 | 70.9% | |
| 1840 | 32,769 | 66.0% | |
| 1850 | 42,831 | 30.7% | |
| 1860 | 48,734 | 13.8% | |
| 1870 | 53,204 | 9.2% | |
| 1880 | 58,541 | 10.0% | |
| 1890 | 59,233 | 1.2% | |
| 1900 | 59,403 | 0.3% | |
| 1910 | 54,526 | −8.2% | |
| 1920 | 53,166 | −2.5% | |
| 1930 | 49,039 | −7.8% | |
| 1940 | 50,615 | 3.2% | |
| 1950 | 51,722 | 2.2% | |
| 1960 | 54,925 | 6.2% | |
| 1970 | 57,962 | 5.5% | |
| 1980 | 62,919 | 8.6% | |
| 1990 | 60,967 | −3.1% | |
| 2000 | 62,761 | 2.9% | |
| 2010 | 62,622 | −0.2% | |
| 2020 | 59,967 | −4.2% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 59,600 | −0.6% | |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 59,967. The median age was 44.1 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.6 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.
27.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 73.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 24,789 households in the county, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.8% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 29,363 housing units, of which 15.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.9% were owner-occupied and 28.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%.
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 61,219 | 60,584 | 55,717 | 97.54% | 96.74% | 92.91% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 249 | 269 | 394 | 0.39% | 0.42% | 0.65% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 187 | 127 | 117 | 0.29% | 0.20% | 0.19% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 283 | 330 | 460 | 0.45% | 0.52% | 0.76% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 5 | 13 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 29 | 27 | 133 | 0.04% | 0.04% | 0.22% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 394 | 578 | 2,260 | 0.62% | 0.92% | 3.76% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 398 | 702 | 873 | 0.63% | 1.12% | 1.45% |
| Total | 62,761 | 62,622 | 59,967 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 62,761 people, 24,453 households, and 17,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile (21 people/km2). There were 28,664 housing units at an average density of 25 units per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.94% White, 0.40% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.4% were of English, 19% German, 12.6% Irish and 6.4% Italian ancestry.
There were 24,453 households, out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
Micropolitan Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Bradford County as the Sayre, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA). As of the 2010 U.S. census the micropolitan area ranked 8th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 131st most populous in the United States with a population of 62,622.
Law and government
Bradford County is a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. The only two instances Republican presidential candidates have failed to win the county from 1880 to the present were when Theodore Roosevelt won it in 1912 by splitting the Republican vote & in 1964 when Lyndon B. Johnson won statewide & nationally in a landslide. Johnson is also the only Democrat to ever manage over forty percent of the county's vote. Even so, he won Bradford County only narrowly, by just over one percent.
Voter registration
- Republican (64.6%)
- Democratic (22.2%)
- Independent (8.78%)
- Other Parties (4.44%)
As of February 7, 2024, there are 37,159 registered voters in the county. There are 23,988 registered Republicans, 8,258 registered Democrats, 3,264 voters registered non-affiliated voters, and 1,649 voters registered to other parties.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 8,152 | 59.65% | 4,950 | 36.22% | 564 | 4.13% |
| 1884 | 8,405 | 62.51% | 4,216 | 31.36% | 825 | 6.14% |
| 1888 | 8,762 | 63.00% | 4,552 | 32.73% | 594 | 4.27% |
| 1892 | 8,132 | 63.10% | 4,080 | 31.66% | 676 | 5.25% |
| 1896 | 9,422 | 66.04% | 4,388 | 30.76% | 457 | 3.20% |
| 1900 | 8,625 | 64.05% | 4,211 | 31.27% | 631 | 4.69% |
| 1904 | 8,303 | 69.23% | 2,862 | 23.86% | 828 | 6.90% |
| 1908 | 7,997 | 63.43% | 3,758 | 29.81% | 853 | 6.77% |
| 1912 | 2,034 | 18.56% | 2,960 | 27.01% | 5,963 | 54.42% |
| 1916 | 6,178 | 57.51% | 3,655 | 34.03% | 909 | 8.46% |
| 1920 | 11,947 | 75.14% | 2,825 | 17.77% | 1,128 | 7.09% |
| 1924 | 11,620 | 73.62% | 2,307 | 14.62% | 1,857 | 11.77% |
| 1928 | 17,251 | 79.83% | 4,281 | 19.81% | 77 | 0.36% |
| 1932 | 11,521 | 63.34% | 5,970 | 32.82% | 697 | 3.83% |
| 1936 | 16,643 | 66.74% | 8,078 | 32.39% | 215 | 0.86% |
| 1940 | 14,826 | 69.01% | 6,605 | 30.74% | 53 | 0.25% |
| 1944 | 13,472 | 70.40% | 5,523 | 28.86% | 142 | 0.74% |
| 1948 | 11,783 | 71.99% | 4,421 | 27.01% | 163 | 1.00% |
| 1952 | 15,894 | 76.02% | 4,959 | 23.72% | 55 | 0.26% |
| 1956 | 15,399 | 73.57% | 5,502 | 26.29% | 30 | 0.14% |
| 1960 | 16,252 | 70.04% | 6,920 | 29.82% | 33 | 0.14% |
| 1964 | 10,434 | 49.31% | 10,714 | 50.63% | 14 | 0.07% |
| 1968 | 13,308 | 63.20% | 6,373 | 30.26% | 1,377 | 6.54% |
| 1972 | 15,050 | 73.57% | 5,204 | 25.44% | 204 | 1.00% |
| 1976 | 12,851 | 61.10% | 7,913 | 37.62% | 270 | 1.28% |
| 1980 | 13,139 | 62.97% | 6,439 | 30.86% | 1,287 | 6.17% |
| 1984 | 14,808 | 72.71% | 5,474 | 26.88% | 85 | 0.42% |
| 1988 | 13,568 | 66.72% | 6,635 | 32.63% | 134 | 0.66% |
| 1992 | 10,221 | 45.17% | 6,903 | 30.51% | 5,504 | 24.32% |
| 1996 | 10,393 | 49.47% | 7,736 | 36.82% | 2,879 | 13.70% |
| 2000 | 14,660 | 62.78% | 7,911 | 33.88% | 781 | 3.34% |
| 2004 | 16,942 | 66.05% | 8,590 | 33.49% | 120 | 0.47% |
| 2008 | 15,057 | 58.16% | 10,306 | 39.81% | 526 | 2.03% |
| 2012 | 14,410 | 61.21% | 8,624 | 36.64% | 506 | 2.15% |
| 2016 | 18,141 | 69.81% | 6,369 | 24.51% | 1,476 | 5.68% |
| 2020 | 21,600 | 71.45% | 8,046 | 26.61% | 586 | 1.94% |
| 2024 | 22,937 | 73.34% | 7,990 | 25.55% | 347 | 1.11% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2018 | 13,032 | 64.11% | 6,926 | 34.07% | 370 | 1.82% |
| 2024 | 22,099 | 71.49% | 8,007 | 25.90% | 804 | 2.60% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2016 | 16,574 | 64.85% | 6,985 | 27.33% | 2,000 | 7.83% |
| 2022 | 16,033 | 68.12% | 6,632 | 28.18% | 873 | 3.71% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2014 | 9,905 | 66.09% | 5,082 | 33.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 13,068 | 64.00% | 6,852 | 33.56% | 500 | 2.45% |
| 2022 | 15,529 | 66.14% | 7,389 | 31.47% | 561 | 2.39% |
County commissioners
- Daryl Miller, Chairman, Republican
- Doug McLinko, Vice-chairman, Republican
- Zachary Gates, Democrat
Other county officials
- Auditors, Roxanne Gilbert-Wells, Todd Grater, Charlotte Parks
- Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary, Tammy Hart
- Coroner, James Bowen
- District Attorney, Richard Wilson
- Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds, Sheila Johnson
- Sheriff, Clinton J. Walters
- Treasurer, Matthew Allen
State senate
State House of Representatives
- Clint Owlett, Republican, Pennsylvania's 68th Representative District
- Tina Pickett, Republican, Pennsylvania's 110th Representative District
United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
Economy
Major employers are the natural gas industry, farming, logging, DuPont, Global-Tungsten and Powders (formerly Sylvania), Jeld-Wen, and Cargill Regional Beef, Wyalusing.
Education
Public school districts
- Athens Area School District
- Canton Area School District (also in Lycoming and Tioga Counties)
- Northeast Bradford School District
- Sayre Area School District
- Towanda Area School District
- Troy Area School District
- Wyalusing Area School District (also in Wyoming County)
Other public school entities
- Towanda
- Adult Ed Linkage Services – Troy
- Lackawanna College Towanda Center
Private schools
- Canton Country School – Canton
- Children's Place – Sayre
- Epiphany School (Catholic) Pre-K–6 – Sayre accepting OSTCP students
- Freedom Lane Academy – Milan
- G&G Learning Center – Rome
- Maranatha Mission Learning Community Branch 19 – Canton
- North Rome Christian School
- South Hill Amish School – Wyalusing
- St. Agnes Elementary School – Towanda accepting OSTCP students
- Union Valley Christian School – Ulster
- Valley View Amish School – Pike Township
- Wyalusing Valley Children's Center INC – Wyalusing
Data from EdNA database maintained by Pennsylvania Department of Education 2012
Libraries
- Allen F. Pierce Free Library – Troy
- Bradford County Library – Troy
- Bradford County Library System – Troy
- Green Free Library – Canton
- Mather Memorial Library – Ulster
- Monroeton Public Library – Monroeton
- New Albany Community Library Inc.
- Sayre Public Library
- Spalding Memorial Library – Athens
- Wyalusing Public Library
Transportation
Public transportation is provided by BeST Transit.
Major highways
- I-86 / NY 17 / Southern Tier Expressway (briefly crosses the NY-PA state border, but is maintained by NYSDOT)
- US 220
- PA 14
- PA 154
- PA 187
- PA 328
- PA 367
- PA 414
- PA 467
- PA 514
- PA 549
Recreation
There is one Pennsylvania state park in Bradford County.
Communities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in only one case (Bloomsburg, Columbia County), towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Bradford County:
Boroughs
- Alba
- Athens
- Burlington
- Canton
- Le Raysville
- Monroe
- New Albany
- Rome
- Sayre
- South Waverly
- Sylvania
- Towanda (county seat)
- Troy
- Wyalusing
Townships
- Albany
- Armenia
- Asylum
- Athens
- Burlington
- Canton
- Columbia
- Franklin
- Granville
- Herrick
- Leroy
- Litchfield
- Monroe
- North Towanda
- Orwell
- Overton
- Pike
- Ridgebury
- Rome
- Sheshequin
- Smithfield
- South Creek
- Springfield
- Standing Stone
- Stevens
- Terry
- Towanda
- Troy
- Tuscarora
- Ulster
- Warren
- Wells
- West Burlington
- Wilmot
- Windham
- Wyalusing
- Wysox
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Bradford County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Population (2010 Census) | Municipal type | Incorporated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sayre | 5,587 | Borough | 1891 |
| 2 | Athens | 3,367 | Borough | 1831 |
| 3 | † Towanda | 2,919 | Borough | 1828 |
| 4 | Canton | 1,976 | Borough | 1864 |
| 5 | Troy | 1,354 | Borough | 1845 |
| 6 | South Waverly | 1,027 | Borough | 1878 |
| 7 | Greens Landing | 894 | CDP | — |
| 8 | Wyalusing | 596 | Borough | 1887 |
| 9 | Monroe | 554 | Borough | 1855 |
| 10 | Rome | 441 | Borough | 1860 |
| 11 | New Albany | 356 | Borough | 1879 |
| 12 | Le Raysville | 290 | Borough | 1863 |
| 13 | Sylvania | 219 | Borough | 1853 |
| 14 | Alba | 157 | Borough | 1864 |
| 15 | Burlington | 156 | Borough | 1854 |
See also
External links
- Note: shows boroughs, townships, roads, villages, some streams. URL accessed on January 10, 2023.
41°47′N 76°31′W/41.79°N 76.52°W/ 41.79; -76.52