Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
 Lackawanna County Courthouse inScranton in August 2009 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofPennsylvania | |
 Pennsylvania's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:41°26′N75°37′W / 41.44°N 75.61°W /41.44; -75.61 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| Founded | August 13, 1878 |
| Named after | Lackawanna River[1] |
| Seat | Scranton |
| Largest city | Scranton |
| Area | |
• Total | 465 sq mi (1,200 km2) |
| • Land | 459 sq mi (1,190 km2) |
| • Water | 5.8 sq mi (15 km2) 1.3% |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2020) | 215,896 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | www |
Lackawanna County (/ˌlækəˈwɒnə/;Unami:Lèkaohane) is acounty in theCommonwealth ofPennsylvania. It had a population of 215,615 in 2022.[2] Itscounty seat and most populous city isScranton.[3] The county is part of theNortheast region of the commonwealth.[a]
The county was created on August 13, 1878, following decades of trying to gain its independence fromLuzerne County.[4] Lackawanna was Pennsylvania's last county to be created, and the only county to be created after theAmerican Civil War. It is named for theLackawanna River.[1]
Lackawanna County is the second largest county in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PAMetropolitan statistical area. It lies northwest of thePocono Mountains approximately 40 miles (64 km) from theNew Jersey border inMontague Township, and approximately 25 miles (40 km) fromNew York state inKirkwood. TheLehigh River, a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of theDelaware River, flows through Lackawanna County.
Lackawanna County is a region that was developed for iron production andanthracite coal mining in the nineteenth century, with its peak of coal production reached in the mid-20th century. Scranton, then still part of Luzerne County, became a center of mining and industry. It was the site of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, which later began to produce steel using the Bessemer process. In 1877 at the time of theScranton General Strike, the company was managed byWilliam Walker Scranton, whose father had been president until his death in 1872. Two of his cousins had been founders of the company and the city.
The county was created on August 13, 1878, following decades of trying to gain its independence fromLuzerne County. (The courts were organized in October 1878.)[4] It is Pennsylvania's last county to be created, and the only one created after theAmerican Civil War. It is named for theLackawanna River.[1]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 465 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 459 square miles (1,190 km2) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km2) (1.3%) is water.[5] It has ahumid continental climate which is warm-summer (Dfb) except along the Lackawanna River from Olyphant and Blakely below Peckville on down and along the Susquehanna where it is hot-summer (Dfa). Average monthly temperatures in downtown Scranton range from 26.0 °F in January to 71.9 °F in July, in Carbondale they range from 23.8 °F in January to 69.7 °F in July, and in Moscow they range from 22.6 °F in January to 68.4 °F in July.[6]
Thehardiness zone is 6a in higher northern, eastern, and southern areas and 6b in most other areas except in Old Forge, lower areas of Moosic, and Scranton along the Lackawanna River to downtown where it is 7a.[1]
I-81
I-84
I-380
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US 6
US 6 Bus. (Scranton)
US 11
PA 106
PA 107
PA 307
PA 348
PA 407
PA 435
PA 438
PA 502
PA 524| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 89,269 | — | |
| 1890 | 142,088 | 59.2% | |
| 1900 | 193,831 | 36.4% | |
| 1910 | 259,570 | 33.9% | |
| 1920 | 286,311 | 10.3% | |
| 1930 | 310,397 | 8.4% | |
| 1940 | 301,243 | −2.9% | |
| 1950 | 257,396 | −14.6% | |
| 1960 | 234,531 | −8.9% | |
| 1970 | 234,107 | −0.2% | |
| 1980 | 227,908 | −2.6% | |
| 1990 | 219,039 | −3.9% | |
| 2000 | 213,295 | −2.6% | |
| 2010 | 214,437 | 0.5% | |
| 2020 | 215,896 | 0.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2019[2][11] | |||
As of the 2020 census there were 215,896 people living in Lackawanna County. 83% wereNon-Hispanic White, 4%Black or African American, 3.2%Asian, 0.3%Native American, 4% some other race and 6% weremultiracial. In 2020 8.5% of the county wasHispanic or Latino.[12]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 175,246 | 81.2% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 7,415 | 3.4% |
| Native American (NH) | 276 | 0.1% |
| Asian (NH) | 6,762 | 3.1% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 28 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 7,902 | 3.7% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 18,267 | 8.5% |
As of the2010 census, there were 214,437 people living in the county. 92.0% wereWhite, 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% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race). 20.1% identified as ofItalian, 19.9%Irish, 13.0%Polish and 11.4%German ancestry.[14]
As of thecensus[15] of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families living in the county. The population density was 465 inhabitants per square mile (180/km2). There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 units per square mile (80/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.65%White, 1.31%Black orAfrican American, 0.09%Native American, 0.75%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.53% fromother races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.39% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 22.5% were ofItalian, 21.2%Irish, 15.4%Polish and 10.2%German ancestry.
There were 86,218 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% weremarried 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, 21.8% of the population was 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 85.4 males.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 56,261 | 48.12% | 59,510 | 50.90% | 1,154 | 0.99% |
| 2020 | 52,334 | 45.23% | 61,991 | 53.58% | 1,370 | 1.18% |
| 2016 | 48,384 | 46.34% | 51,983 | 49.79% | 4,037 | 3.87% |
| 2012 | 35,085 | 35.67% | 61,838 | 62.87% | 1,428 | 1.45% |
| 2008 | 39,488 | 36.38% | 67,520 | 62.21% | 1,531 | 1.41% |
| 2004 | 44,766 | 42.30% | 59,573 | 56.30% | 1,480 | 1.40% |
| 2000 | 35,096 | 36.41% | 57,471 | 59.63% | 3,814 | 3.96% |
| 1996 | 26,930 | 32.57% | 46,377 | 56.09% | 9,374 | 11.34% |
| 1992 | 33,443 | 35.22% | 45,054 | 47.44% | 16,471 | 17.34% |
| 1988 | 42,083 | 47.42% | 45,591 | 51.38% | 1,067 | 1.20% |
| 1984 | 48,132 | 50.57% | 45,851 | 48.17% | 1,202 | 1.26% |
| 1980 | 44,242 | 46.35% | 45,257 | 47.42% | 5,948 | 6.23% |
| 1976 | 43,354 | 42.17% | 57,685 | 56.12% | 1,758 | 1.71% |
| 1972 | 58,838 | 56.11% | 45,465 | 43.35% | 566 | 0.54% |
| 1968 | 44,388 | 38.80% | 66,297 | 57.96% | 3,706 | 3.24% |
| 1964 | 31,272 | 26.16% | 88,131 | 73.73% | 137 | 0.11% |
| 1960 | 49,636 | 38.25% | 80,098 | 61.72% | 49 | 0.04% |
| 1956 | 64,386 | 53.56% | 55,741 | 46.37% | 79 | 0.07% |
| 1952 | 61,644 | 48.65% | 64,926 | 51.24% | 147 | 0.12% |
| 1948 | 46,283 | 41.42% | 64,495 | 57.71% | 971 | 0.87% |
| 1944 | 47,261 | 44.34% | 59,190 | 55.54% | 127 | 0.12% |
| 1940 | 54,931 | 43.36% | 71,343 | 56.32% | 411 | 0.32% |
| 1936 | 51,186 | 38.26% | 80,585 | 60.23% | 2,030 | 1.52% |
| 1932 | 34,632 | 45.24% | 40,793 | 53.28% | 1,135 | 1.48% |
| 1928 | 46,510 | 46.85% | 52,665 | 53.05% | 94 | 0.09% |
| 1924 | 37,708 | 60.43% | 16,859 | 27.02% | 7,834 | 12.55% |
| 1920 | 40,593 | 60.55% | 24,581 | 36.67% | 1,866 | 2.78% |
| 1916 | 17,658 | 50.80% | 15,727 | 45.25% | 1,373 | 3.95% |
| 1912 | 3,799 | 11.55% | 12,423 | 37.78% | 16,661 | 50.67% |
| 1908 | 18,590 | 53.44% | 15,451 | 44.41% | 747 | 2.15% |
| 1904 | 19,923 | 64.54% | 10,068 | 32.62% | 876 | 2.84% |
| 1900 | 16,763 | 51.56% | 14,728 | 45.30% | 1,019 | 3.13% |
| 1896 | 18,737 | 59.28% | 11,869 | 37.55% | 999 | 3.16% |
| 1892 | 10,729 | 48.38% | 10,351 | 46.67% | 1,098 | 4.95% |
| 1888 | 10,279 | 48.50% | 9,858 | 46.51% | 1,058 | 4.99% |
| 1884 | 9,656 | 58.47% | 6,171 | 37.37% | 687 | 4.16% |
| 1880 | 7,357 | 49.80% | 7,178 | 48.59% | 239 | 1.62% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 51,944 | 44.82% | 61,653 | 53.20% | 2,289 | 1.98% |
According to the Secretary of State's office, Democrats hold a majority of the voters in Lackawanna County.
| Lackawanna County Voter Registration Statistics as of January 8, 2024[18] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Party | Total Voters | Percentage | |||
| Democratic | 78,064 | 54.64% | |||
| Republican | 47,481 | 33.23% | |||
| No Party Affiliation | 13,867 | 9.70% | |||
| Third Parties | 3,453 | 2.42% | |||
| Total | 142,865 | 100.00% | |||
The Democratic Party has been historically dominant in county-level politics since the rise of new immigrant populations and their descendants since the mid-19th century. The county is part ofPennsylvania's 8th congressional district.
On the state and national levels, Lackawanna County has strongly favored the Democratic Party for the last ninety years. It leaned Republican from1896 to1924, only failing to backWilliam Howard Taft during that timespan when the party's vote was split between him and former presidentTheodore Roosevelt. The county has only voted for the Republican candidate three times since1928: in the national Republican landslides of1956,1972, and1984. In2000, DemocratAl Gore won 60% of the vote and RepublicanGeorge W. Bush won 36%.[19] In2004 DemocratJohn Kerry received 56% of the vote and Bush received 42%.[20] In2006, Democrats GovernorEd Rendell and SenatorBob Casey, Jr., won 70% and 73% of the vote in Lackawanna County, respectively.[21] In2008 three of four Democrats running statewide carried the county, withBarack Obama receiving 63% of the county vote to 37% forJohn McCain.[22] Although Obama easily carried Lackawanna County again in2012,Donald Trump came very close to beatingHillary Clinton in2016. However, in2020, Lackawanna County voted forJoe Biden, a native son of the county, by over 8 points, an improvement over Clinton's margin but not as high as either of Obama's. In Lackawanna County, Democratic strength primarily comes from the city of Scranton and its immediate suburbs, while Republicans do better in the more rural, outer parts of the county.
| Official | Party | Term ends |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Chermak | Republican | 2027 |
| Bill Gaughan | Democratic | 2027 |
| Patricia Sacco | Democratic | 2026 |
| Office | Official | Party | Term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk of Judicial Records | Mauri B. Kelly | Democratic | 2027 (Resigning September 2025) |
| Controller | Gary DiBileo | Democratic | 2027 |
| Coroner | Timothy Rowland | Democratic | 2027 |
| Treasurer | Angela Rempe Jones | Democratic | 2027 |
| District Attorney | Brian Gallagher | Democratic | 2029 |
| Recorder of Deeds | Evie Rafalko-McNulty | Democratic | 2029 |
| Register of Wills | Frances Kovaleski | Democratic | 2029 |
| Sheriff | Mark McAndrew | Democratic | 2029 |
As of January 3, 2025[update]:
| District | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Rob Bresnahan | Republican |
As of January 3, 2025[update]:
| Senator | Party |
|---|---|
| Dave McCormick | Republican |
| John Fetterman | Democratic |
As of January 13, 2023[update]:
| District | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 112 | Kyle Mullins | Democratic |
| 113 | Kyle Donahue | Democratic |
| 114 | Bridget Malloy Kosierowski | Democratic |
| 118 | Jim Haddock | Democratic |
As of March 29, 2021[update]:
| District | Senator | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Marty Flynn | Democratic |
Lackawanna County Workforce investment Board - Scranton
They include:[23]
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.
The county is also served by theDiocese of Scranton. The Diocese of Scranton operates four regional systems of diocesan schools, which were established after the area received hundreds of thousands of Catholic immigrants. 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, andHoly 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 population declined in the area.
As recently as 2000, Lackawanna County was home to four Catholic 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. 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.
Sacred Heart Elementary inCarbondale and Marian Catholic Elementary inScranton 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 operated at less than 50% capacity. It bolstered the enrollments of the hubs of elementary education.
As reported by thePennsylvania Department of Education:[25]
UnderPennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:cities,boroughs,townships, and onetown. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Lackawanna County:
The population ranking of the following table is based on the2010 census of Lackawanna County.[28]
†county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Scranton | City | 76,089 |
| 2 | Dunmore | Borough | 14,057 |
| 3 | Carbondale | City | 8,891 |
| 4 | Old Forge | Borough | 8,313 |
| 5 | Archbald | Borough | 6,984 |
| 6 | Blakely | Borough | 6,564 |
| 7 | Taylor | Borough | 6,263 |
| 8 | Dickson City | Borough | 6,070 |
| 9 | Moosic | Borough | 5,719 |
| 10 | Olyphant | Borough | 5,151 |
| 11 | Clarks Summit | Borough | 5,116 |
| 12 | Jessup | Borough | 4,676 |
| 13 | Throop | Borough | 4,088 |
| 14 | Jermyn | Borough | 2,169 |
| 15 | Chinchilla | CDP | 2,098 |
| 16 | Moscow | Borough | 2,026 |
| 17 | Mayfield | Borough | 1,807 |
| 18 | Mount Cobb | CDP | 1,799 |
| 19 | Clarks Green | Borough | 1,476 |
| 20 | Simpson | CDP | 1,275 |
| 21 | Big Bass Lake (partially inWayne County) | CDP | 1,270 |
| 22 | Dalton | Borough | 1,234 |
| 23 | Glenburn | CDP | 953 |
| 24 | Vandling | Borough | 751 |
| 25 | Waverly | CDP | 604 |
| 26 | Eagle Lake | CDP | 12 |
At the end of the month, the state will transfer control of the school to the private [...]
Municipalities and communities ofLackawanna County, Pennsylvania,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Boroughs | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
Places adjacent to Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania | ||||||||||||||||
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