Mifflin County, Pennsylvania


Mifflin County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,143. Its county seat is Lewistown. The county was created on September 19, 1789, from parts of Cumberland County and Northumberland County. It was named for Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania. Mifflin County comprises the Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county is part of the Central Pennsylvania region of the state.
WWW co.mifflin.pa.us

Geography

The county terrain is formed by the folded Appalachian Mountain ridges which run from southwest to northeast across the county. The terrain slopes to the northeast, with its highest point East Northeast from the county's Northwest corner, just south of the county's border with Centre County. It measures Above sea level. The Juniata River flows northeast through the lower part of the county, exiting northeastward into Juniata County near Hawstone. The county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Mifflin County is located in, and has its boundaries defined by, the Ridge-and Valley Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania. The county is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.
US Route 322, a major divided highway, connects the county to the rest of the state on its route between Harrisburg and State College. US Route 522 also connects the county to the rest of the state on its route between Selinsgrove and [Mount Union Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania|Union, Pennsylvania|Mount Union].
The county has a humid continental climate and average temperatures in downtown Lewistown range from 27.8 °F in January to 72.7 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

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Protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 46,143. The median age was 44.0 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.5 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 94.6% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.1% of the population.
45.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 54.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 18,823 households in the county, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.8% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 21,313 housing units, of which 11.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.2% were owner-occupied and 28.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 45,64445,19943,34398.18%96.82%93.93%
Black or African American alone 2162823500.46%0.60%0.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 3452510.07%0.11%0.11%
Asian alone 1351671600.29%0.35%0.34%
Pacific Islander alone 2600.00%0.01%0.00%
Other race alone 1326780.02%0.05%0.16%
Mixed race or Multiracial 1794161,1820.38%0.89%2.56%
Hispanic or Latino 2635349790.56%1.14%2.12%
Total46,48646,68246,143100.00%100.00%100.00%

2010 census

As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 46,682 people and 18,743 households in the county. The population density was. There were 21,537 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 97.53% White, 0.64% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.8% were of German, 19.2% American, 8.0% Irish and 7.5% English ancestry. 5.7% report speaking [Pennsylvania Dutch language|Dutch language|Pennsylvania Dutch], Dutch, or German at home.
There were 18,743 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% 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 2.99.
The county population contained 23.1% under the age of 18, 2.2% from 18 to 19, 5.1% from 20 to 24, 10.4% from 25 to 34, 20.1% from 35 to 49, 20.6% from 50 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. The population was 48.93% male, and 51.07% female.

Amish community

The Amish community in Mifflin County, established in 1791, had a total population of 3,905 people in 2017, or 8.5% of the county's population.

Dialect

The dominant form of speech in Mifflin County is the Central Pennsylvania accent. Almost everyone in Mifflin County speaks English. The Amish and some Mennonites speak Pennsylvania German, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch, a West Central German dialect, which is quite different from modern Standard German. The Amish and Mennonites can also speak English. Few non-Amish or Mennonites in Mifflin County today speak Pennsylvania German, but this was not true in the past.

Micropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Mifflin County as the Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2010 United States census the micropolitan area ranked 10th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 237th most populous in the United States with a population of 46,682.

Law and government

County Commissioners

  • Rob Postal
  • Noah Wise
  • Kevin Kodish

County Auditors

  • Helen Kirk
  • Barbara Clemmons
  • Kendra Dunmire

Other County Officers

  • District Attorney: Christopher Torquato
  • Sheriff: James Aumiller
  • Treasurer: Diane Griffith
  • Register & Recorder: Ellen Amspacker
  • Coroner: Andrea Alcalde
  • Prothonotary: Tammy Stuck

State Representatives

Source:

State Senator

Source:

United States Representative

United States Senators

Mifflin County voters have been reliably Republican. In only one national election since 1940 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

Economy

Major employers in Mifflin County include:

Education

Public school districts

Most of the county is served by the Mifflin County School District, with the exception of Wayne Township and the boroughs of Newton-Hamilton and Kistler, which are part of the Mount Union Area School District.

Head Start preschool programs

Head Start is a federally and state funded preschool program for low income children. The program serves 3- and 4-year-olds. In order to participate the family income must be below federal poverty guidelines.

Private schools

Colleges and universities

Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology located in Lewistown provides post high school degrees in nursing, auto mechanics and electrical services and other technology driven careers.
The Lewistown branch of the South Hills School of Business and Technology offers associate degrees and other certifications in various areas of business, technology, and some health care.
The Penn State Learning Center in Lewistown offers both two-year and four-year degrees. Recently, the Learning Center opened a state-of-the-art science lab to be used by students attending the Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing.

Media

Radio stations

AM

WLUI 670 AM- Lewistown WKVA 920 AM- Lewistown (simulcast on W262DO, 100.3 FM)

FM

WRYV 88.7- MilroyWJRC 90.9- LewistownWMRF 95.7- LewistownWVNW 96.7- BurnhamWCHX 105.5- Burnham

Television

Mifflin County does not have a local television station but it is provided with local coverage from the following stations outside of the county from both the Harrisburg and Johnstown/Altoona markets:WHTM 27 Harrisburg WPMT 43 York WHP 21 Harrisburg WGAL 8 Lancaster WTAJ 10 Altoona WJAC 6 Johnstown WATM 23 Altoona WWCP 8 Johnstown WHVL 29 State College

Newspapers

  • Lewistown Sentinel
  • County Observer
  • The Valley Newspaper

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, [List of List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania|towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania|boroughs], townships, and, in at most two cases, towns.

Boroughs

Census-designated places and unincorporated communities

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the US Census Bureau for the purpose of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities are listed here as well.

Townships

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Mifflin County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation
1† 'LewistownBorough8,338
2BurnhamBorough2,054
3BellevilleCDP1,827
4Church HillCDP1,627
5MilroyCDP1,498
6Highland ParkCDP1,380
7YeagertownCDP1,050
8Strodes MillsCDP757
9ReedsvilleCDP641
10Juniata TerraceBorough542
11AllensvilleCDP503
12GranvilleCDP440
13MaitlandCDP357
14McVeytownBorough342
15KistlerBorough320
16MattawanaCDP276
17Lumber CityCDP255
18LongfellowCDP215
19Newton HamiltonBorough205
20Cedar CrestCDP195
21Atkinson MillsCDP174
22Potlicker FlatsCDP172
23BarrvilleCDP160
24AlfarataCDP149
25WagnerCDP128
26Siglerville'CDP106