According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 362 square miles (940 km2), of which 362 square miles (940 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.2%) is water.[5] Most of it is drained by theSwatara Creek into theSusquehanna River while some eastern portions are drained by theTulpehocken Creek (which originates in the county near Myerstown) eastward into theSchuylkill River. It consists in large part of a valley.[6]
The county has a hot-summerhumid continental climate (Dfa) and thehardiness zone is 7a, except in higher areas north of the Interstate 78 and 81 corridor, where it is 6b. Average monthly temperatures in center-city Lebanon range from 29.4 °F in January to 74.3 °F in July.[7]
There were 46,551 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% weremarried couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.70% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.
The county is governed by three commissioners, who are elected every four years from a slate of four candidates (two Democrats and two Republicans). Other elected officials include County Controller, Sheriff, Coroner, Prothonotary and Clerk of Court, Recorder of Deeds, County Treasurer, and Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court.
For most of its history, Lebanon County has been one of the mostRepublican counties in Pennsylvania. The county is strongly Republican even by the standards of south-central Pennsylvania. It is very conservative for an urban county, having supported aDemocrat for president only once since 1880. That came whenFranklin D. Roosevelt won the county in his 46-state landslide reelection; even then, FDR carried it by only 587 votes. The only other time since 1880 that the county has failed to support a Republican was in 1912, when the GOP was mortally divided andTheodore Roosevelt carried it on the Bull Moose ticket.
In 1964, Lebanon County was one of only four counties in the state to vote forBarry Goldwater, along with Snyder, Union, and Wayne counties.
In the 2002 gubernatorial election, the county cast 22,659 votes (62.7%) for RepublicanMike Fisher and 12,712 (35.2%) for DemocratEd Rendell, who won the race. In the 2002 race for the U.S. House of Representatives, RepublicanGeorge Gekas received 21,733 votes (60.9%) from the county while DemocratTim Holden received 13,945 (39.1%); Holden won.[24]
Map of Lebanon County 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 Lebanon County:
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by theU.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.
"County and Local History: Lebanon",Writings on Pennsylvania history; a bibliography, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1946, p. 402 – via Internet Archive
