Maxatawny Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Maxatawny Township is a township in Berks County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 5,982 at the 2000 census.
, the township has a total area of 26.3 square miles (68.0 km²). 26.2 square miles (68.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.15%) is water. Its villages include Bowers
, Hinterleiter, Maxatawny, Mill Creek Corner, and Monterey
. The township is in the Delaware watershed and most of it is drained by the Sacony Creek
into the Schuylkill River
. An area in the eastern portion is drained by the Little Lehigh Creek
into the Lehigh River
.
Adjacent townships
Maxatawny Township surrounds the borough of Kutztown
, and touches Lyons
to the south and Topton
to the east. Its main east-to-west route is U.S. Highway 222, from which Route 737
extends north to Interstate 78
in Krumsville and to Kempton. Other primary local north-to-south roads are Topton Road/Long Lane, Kohler Road, and Noble Street.
of 2000, there were 5,982 people, 1,348 households, and 997 families residing in the township. The population density
was 228.0 people per square mile (88.0/km²). There were 1,384 housing units at an average density of 52.8/sq mi (20.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.05% White, 1.99% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population.
There were 1,348 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples
living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the township the population was spread out with 13.9% under the age of 18, 45.6% from 18 to 24, 15.9% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 81.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $51,006, and the median income for a family was $57,813. Males had a median income of $38,092 versus $22,147 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $15,586. About 3.4% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
. Kutztown University
lies mostly in the township and straddles the boundary with Kutztown. The Pennsylvania German
presence remains strong there despite more ethnically-diverse movement from metropolitan areas and significant numbers of Menonite continue to farm some of the township's land. Renninger's Antique and Farmers' Market and the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center of Kutztown University are located in Maxatawny Township, as well as the annual Bowers Chili Pepper Festival, held in September at DeLong Park.
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, 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 5,982 at the 2000 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 26.3 square miles (68.0 km²). 26.2 square miles (68.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.15%) is water. Its villages include Bowers
Bowers, Pennsylvania
Bowers is an unincorporated community in extreme southern Maxatawny Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a zip code of 19511, it is located near the borough of Lyons and is on the Sacony Creek....
, Hinterleiter, Maxatawny, Mill Creek Corner, and Monterey
Monterey, Pennsylvania
Monterey, Pennsylvania, is an unincorporated community which was added to the USGS Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. After the site was surveyed for the never-completed Tapeworm Railroad, the summit community was settled on the Emmitsburg & Waynesboro Turnpike east of the...
. The township is in the Delaware watershed and most of it is drained by the Sacony Creek
Sacony Creek
Sacony Creek is a tributary of Maiden Creek in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It flows through the borough of Kutztown, and is the main water source there....
into the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
. An area in the eastern portion is drained by the Little Lehigh Creek
Little Lehigh Creek
The Little Lehigh Creek is approximately long, in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is also sometimes referred to as the Little Lehigh River. It is called the Little Lehigh because it is the largest tributary of the Lehigh River....
into the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
.
Adjacent townships
- Longswamp Township (east)
- Rockland TownshipRockland Township, Berks County, PennsylvaniaRockland Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,765 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 17.1 square miles , all of it land...
(south) - Richmond TownshipRichmond Township, Berks County, PennsylvaniaRichmond Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,500 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.7 square miles , of which, 23.6 square miles of it is land and...
(southwest) - Greenwich Township (northwest)
- Weisenberg Township, Lehigh County (north)
- Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County (northeast)
Maxatawny Township surrounds the borough of Kutztown
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Kutztown is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Allentown and northeast of Reading. As of the 2000 census, the borough has a total population of 5,067. It is the site of Kutztown University.- History :...
, and touches Lyons
Lyons, Pennsylvania
Lyons is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 504 at the 2000 census.Lyons is located 3 miles south of Kutztown...
to the south and Topton
Topton, Pennsylvania
Topton is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,948 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Topton is located at ....
to the east. Its main east-to-west route is U.S. Highway 222, from which Route 737
Pennsylvania Route 737
Pennsylvania Route 737 is a state highway in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The route runs from U.S. Route 222 in Kutztown north to Pennsylvania Route 143 in Albany Township. Route 737 heads north from an interchange with the U.S. Route 222 Kutztown Bypass north of Kutztown on Krumsville Road. It...
extends north to Interstate 78
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 is an Interstate Highway in the Northeast United States, running 144 miles from Interstate 81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown, Pennsylvania, and western and northern New Jersey to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in New York City.I-78 is a major road...
in Krumsville and to Kempton. Other primary local north-to-south roads are Topton Road/Long Lane, Kohler Road, and Noble 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 5,982 people, 1,348 households, and 997 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 228.0 people per square mile (88.0/km²). There were 1,384 housing units at an average density of 52.8/sq mi (20.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.05% White, 1.99% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.33% 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population.
There were 1,348 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% 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, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the township the population was spread out with 13.9% under the age of 18, 45.6% from 18 to 24, 15.9% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 81.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $51,006, and the median income for a family was $57,813. Males had a median income of $38,092 versus $22,147 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 $15,586. About 3.4% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
Legislators
- State Representative Gary DayGary Day (politician)Gary Day is serving his first term as representative of the 187th Legislative District of Pennsylvania. His district includes communities of northern, northwestern, and west-central Lehigh County and northeastern Berks County.-Career:...
, Republican, 187th district - State Senator Judy SchwankJudy SchwankJudith Schwank is an American politician. A Democrat, she was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate from the 11th district in a special election on March 15, 2011 to succeed the late Mike O'Pake. The district includes the city of Reading and most of eastern Berks County.-Biography:Schwank attended...
, Democrat, 11th district - US Representative Jim GerlachJim GerlachJames "Jim" Gerlach is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.- Early life, education and career :...
, Republican, 6th district
Education and culture
Maxatawny is served by the Kutztown Area School DistrictKutztown Area School District
The Kutztown Area School District is a public school district serving parts of Berks County, Pennsylvania. It encompasses the communities of Kutztown, Lyons, Maxatawny Twp, Greenwich Twp, Lenhartsville, and Albany Twp. It features three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school....
. Kutztown University
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania , is an American public university located in rural Kutztown, Berks County, Pennsylvania and is one of fourteen schools that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary...
lies mostly in the township and straddles the boundary with Kutztown. The Pennsylvania German
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
presence remains strong there despite more ethnically-diverse movement from metropolitan areas and significant numbers of Menonite continue to farm some of the township's land. Renninger's Antique and Farmers' Market and the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center of Kutztown University are located in Maxatawny Township, as well as the annual Bowers Chili Pepper Festival, held in September at DeLong Park.