Bucks County, Pennsylvania


Bucks County is in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English county of Buckinghamshire. The county is part of the Southeast region of the commonwealth.
The county represents the northern boundary of the Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA–NJ–DE–MD metropolitan statistical area.
To its southwest, Bucks County borders Montgomery County and Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city. To its east, the county borders the Delaware River and U.S. state of New Jersey. To its north, the county borders Lehigh and Northampton counties in the state's Lehigh Valley region. The county is approximately southeast of Allentown, the state's third-largest city, and north of Philadelphia, the state's largest city.
WWW Official Site𝕏 buckscountygovt

History

Founding

Bucks County is one of the three original counties created by colonial proprietor William Penn in 1682. Penn named the county after Buckinghamshire, the county in which he lived in England; "Bucks" is the traditional abbreviation for the English county, which became the actual name of the Pennsylvania one. He built a country estate, Pennsbury Manor, in Falls Township in present-day Bucks County.
Some places in Bucks County were named after locations in Buckinghamshire, including Buckingham and Buckingham Township, named after the former county town of Buckinghamshire; Chalfont, named after Chalfont St Giles, the parish home of William Penn's first wife and the location of the Jordans Quaker Meeting House, where Penn is buried; Solebury, named after Soulbury, England; and Wycombe, named after the town of High Wycombe.
Bucks County was originally much larger than it is today. Northampton County was formed in 1752 from part of Bucks County, and Lehigh County was formed in 1812 from part of Northampton County.

American Revolutionary War

General George Washington and his troops camped in Bucks County as they prepared to cross the Delaware River to take Trenton, New Jersey by surprise on the morning of December 26, 1776. Their successful attack on Britain's Hessian forces was a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. The town of Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania and Washington Crossing Historic Park were named to commemorate the event.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
The southern third of the county between Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey, often called Lower Bucks, resides in the Atlantic Coastal Plain; it is flat and near sea level, and is the county's most populated and industrialized area.
Bucks County shares a western border with Montgomery County, and also borders Philadelphia to the southwest, and Northampton and Lehigh Counties to the north. From north to south, it is linked to Warren, Hunterdon, Mercer and Burlington Counties in New Jersey by bridges.
Tohickon Creek and Neshaminy Creek are the largest tributaries of the Delaware in Bucks County. Tohickon Creek empties into the river at Point Pleasant and Neshaminy at Croydon.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 646,538. The median age was 44.4 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.2 males age 18 and over.
As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 82.0% White, 4.1% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.6% from some other race, and 5.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.2% of the population.
The 2020 census reported that 89.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 10.3% lived in rural areas.
The 2020 census recorded 245,587 households in the county, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.8% were married-couple households, 15.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The 2020 census recorded 255,632 housing units, of which 3.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.2% were owner-occupied and 23.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 544,733543,207521,57591.14%86.87%80.67%
Black or African American alone 18,97021,45425,2773.17%3.43%3.90%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 6447505310.10%0.11%0.08%
Asian alone 13,54523,89335,0532.26%3.82%5.42%
Pacific Islander alone 1411381430.02%0.02%0.02%
Race and ethnicity in [the United States census|Other race] alone 5638132,5120.09%0.13%0.38%
Mixed race or Multiracial 5,0348,21221,6770.84%1.31%3.35%
Hispanic or Latino 14,00526,78239,7702.34%4.28%6.15%
Total597,635625,249646,538100.00%100.00%100.00%

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 625,249 people. The population density was 1,034.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 86.6% Non-Hispanic white, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.1% Asian 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% were of two or more races, and 1.5% were of other races. 4.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 218,725 households, and 160,981 families residing in the county. There were 225,498 housing units at an average density of. 20.1% were of German, 19.1% Irish, 14.0% Italian, 7.5% English and 5.9% Polish ancestry.
There were 218,725 households, out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.20% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $59,727, and the median income for a family was $68,727. Males had a median income of $46,587 versus $31,984 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,430. About 3.10% of families and 4.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.80% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.

Population growth

Growth began in the early 1950s, when William Levitt chose Bucks County for his second "Levittown". Levitt bought hundreds of acres of woodlands and farmland, and constructed 17,000 homes and dozens of schools, parks, libraries, and shopping centers. By the time the project was completed, the population of Levittown had swelled to nearly 74,000 residents. At the time, only whites could buy homes. This rule however, was soon overturned. Other planned developments included Croydon and Fairless Hills. This rapid sprawl continued until the mid-1960s.
In the 1970s, the county experienced a second growth spurt as developers expanded in previously underdeveloped townships, including Middletown, Lower Makefield, Northampton, and Newtown townships. Tract housing, office complexes, shopping centers, and sprawling parking lots continued to move more and more towards Upper Bucks, swallowing horse farms, sprawling forests, and wetlands. Oxford Valley Mall was constructed in Middletown, and became a retail nucleus in the county.
In the late 20th century, growth somewhat stabilized as development was completed in the county's historically underdeveloped areas, leaving little new area to be further developed.
Bucks County areas along the Delaware River have surpluses of abandoned industry, so many municipalities have granted building rights to luxury housing developers. As the regions that began the suburban boom in Bucks County, such as Levittown, have aged, commercial strips and other neglected structures have been torn down and replaced with new shopping plazas and commercial chains. With rising property values, areas with older construction are undergoing a renaissance, and Central and Upper Bucks have continued to experience rapid growth, with many municipalities doubling their populations since the late 20th century.

Economy

The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by William Levitt.
Among Bucks' largest employers in the twentieth century were U.S. Steel in Falls Township, and the Vulcanized Rubber & Plastics and Robertson Tile companies in Morrisville. Rohm and Haas continues to operate several chemical plants around Bristol. Waste Management operates a landfill in Tullytown that is the largest receptacle of out-of-state waste in the USA.
Bucks is also experiencing rapid growth in biotechnology, along with neighboring Montgomery County. The Greater Philadelphia area consistently ranks in the top 10 geographic clusters for biotechnology and biopharma. It is projected by 2020 that one out of four people in Bucks County will work in biotechnology.

Tourism

Image:Schofield Ford Covered Bridge.jpg|thumb|Schofield Ford Covered Bridge over Neshaminy Creek in Tyler State Park; Bucks County has 12 covered bridges, ten of which are still open to highway traffic, and two of which are located in parks and open to non-vehicular traffic.
Another important asset of the county is tourism. The county's northern regions, colloquially referred to as Upper Bucks, are known for their natural scenery, farmland, colonial history, and proximity to major urban areas, including Philadelphia, New York City, Allentown, Reading, and Atlantic City, each of which is within a two-hour driving radius.
Bucks County is home to twelve covered bridges. Ten are still open to vehicular traffic; two others, located in parks, are open only to non-vehicular traffic. All Bucks County bridges use the Town truss design. Schofield Ford Bridge, in Tyler State Park, was reconstructed in 1997 from the ground up after arsonists destroyed the original in 1991.
Popular attractions in Bucks County include the shops and studios of New Hope, Peddler's Village, Washington Crossing Historic Park, New Hope Railroad, Bucks County River Country and Bucks County Playhouse Theater. Rice's Market near Lahaska is a popular destination on Tuesday mornings. Quakertown Farmer's Market is a popular shopping destination on weekends. The county seat of Doylestown has the trifecta of concrete structures built by Henry Chapman Mercer, including the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, the Mercer Museum and Fonthill, Mercer's personal home.
Southern Bucks, colloquially referred to as Lower Bucks, is home to two important shopping malls, Neshaminy Mall, Oxford Valley Mall, and Sesame Place, a family theme park based on the Sesame Street television series. Also within Lower Bucks County is Parx Casino and Racing in Bensalem, a casino and thoroughbred horse racing track. The casino was built on the grounds of what was originally Philadelphia Park Racetrack. The complex includes the thoroughbred horse racing track, expansive casino, a dance club, numerous dining options, and the Xcite Center.

Education

Colleges and universities

Public school districts

K-12 school districts include:
The Bucks County public schools listed above are served by a regional educational service agency
called the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 located in the county seat of Doylestown.
Previously, the Easton Area School District included Riegelsville in Bucks County. In 2012 the Pennsylvania Department of Education approved moving Riegelsville into the Palisades School District, and this was to be effective 2013.

Public charter schools

  • Bucks County Montessori Charter School
  • Center Student Learning Charter School
  • School Lane Charter School

Private schools

Community, junior, and technical colleges

Libraries

The Bucks County Library System was founded in 1956 by a resolution of the Bucks County Commissioners.
The Bucks County Library System is made up of seven branch libraries:
There are also eleven independent public libraries:
  • Fallsington Library
  • Free Library of New Hope & Solebury
  • Free Library of Northampton Township
  • Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library
  • Morrisville Free Library
  • Pipersville Free Library
  • Riegelsville Public Library
  • Southampton Free Library
  • Township Library of Lower Southampton
  • Village Library of Wrightstown
  • Warminster Township Free Library

Arts and culture

Fine and performing arts

Many artists and writers based in New York City have called Bucks County home, settling mainly in the small stretch between Doylestown and New Hope and along the Delaware River.
The county boasts many local theater companies, including the long-established and recently reopened Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Town and Country Players in Buckingham, ActorsNET in Morrisville, and the Bristol Riverside Theatre, a professional Equity theater in Bristol. The Bucks County Symphony, founded in 1953, performs in Doylestown throughout the year and the Bucks County Gilbert & Sullivan Society, founded in 2009, performs a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta with full orchestra each June.
The Wild River Review, an online magazine that publishes in-depth reporting, works of literature, art, visual art, reviews, interviews, and columns by and about contemporary artists, photographers, and writers, is based out of Doylestown.

Film

Media

Local print publications include Bucks County Courier Times, The Intelligencer, The Advance of Bucks County, Bucks County Herald, Bucks County Town and Country Living, Radius Magazine, Yardley Voice, Morrisville Times, Newtown Gazette, Northampton Herald, Langhorne Ledger, Lower Southampton Spirit, New Hope News, Doylestown Observer, Warwick Journal, Fairless Focus. Online news publications are Levittown Now, Bucks County Beacon, NewtownPANow, Bucks Happening, New Hope Free Press. WBCB is a local radio news station.

Sports

Rugby league

The Bucks County Sharks rugby league team played in the AMNRL from 1997 to 2010 season. They returned to play in the AMNRL in 2011, until the league's fold in 2014, when they subsequently joined the USARL.

Little League

The county has a considerable history of producing Little League baseball contenders. Since its inception in 1947, four of the seven Pennsylvania teams to compete in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania have come from Bucks County: Morrisville, Levittown American, and Council Rock-Newtown. Two of these squads, Morrisville and Levittown, went on to win the World Series title. In 2007, Council Rock Northampton won the PA State championship, and lost in the finals of regionals.

PIAA

The county is a part of PIAA's District I, and has seen many schools capture multiple state titles.

American Legion baseball

In 1996, Yardley Western Post 317 won the American Legion National Championship.
Bristol Legion Post 382 recently won the 2011 American Legion State Championship.

Horse racing

Parks and recreation

Pennsylvania state parks

There are six Commonwealth-owned parks in Bucks County:

County parks

Historic properties

County recreation sites

  • Frosty Hollow Tennis Center
  • Core Creek Tennis Center
  • Oxford Valley Golf Course
  • Oxford Valley Pool
  • Tohickon Valley Pool
  • Weisel Hostel
  • Peace Valley Boat Rental
  • Core Creek Boat Rental

County nature centers

  • Bucks County Audubon Society's Honey Hollow Environmental Education Center
  • Churchville Nature Center]
  • Clark Nature Center
  • Peace Valley Nature Center
  • Silver Lake Nature Center

Transportation

Airports

Air transportation facilities available in or close to Bucks County include:

Public transportation

Politics and government

Like most of the Philadelphia suburbs, Bucks County was once a stronghold for the Republican Party. However, in recent years it has become more of a swing county, like Pennsylvania at large.
In presidential elections, Bucks County has been caught up in the overall Democratic trend that has swept the Philadelphia area, although the trend in Bucks has been less pronounced than in Delaware and Montgomery counties. It went Democratic in every presidential election from 1992 to 2020, though by a margin of less than 5% in each except for 2008, with three of those eight elections decided by less than 2%. In 2024, Donald Trump flipped the county with a victory margin of 0.07% or 291 votes. Prior to this Republicans won the county all but thrice between 1896 and 1988. Unlike most other suburban Philadelphia counties, Bucks County consistently voted Democratic during the Civil War era, only voting Republican twice between 1856 and 1892, in 1860 and 1872.
The executive government is run by a three-seat board of commissioners, one member of which serves as chairperson. Commissioners are elected through at-large voting and serve four-year terms. In cases of vacancy, a panel of county judges appoints members to fill seats. The current commissioners are Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, Robert "Bob" J. Harvie Jr., and Gene DiGirolamo. The current terms expire in January 2028. In 2012, four county employees were sentenced for compensating public employees for political work on behalf of Republican candidates.
Bucks County is represented in U.S. Congress by, formerly numbered as the 8th District. The district is represented by Brian Fitzpatrick, making this district one of 18 nationwide to be held by a Republican and won by Joe Biden in 2020.
In the 2016 elections, Democrats Hillary Clinton, Josh Shapiro, and Joe Torsella won Bucks County while Republicans Pat Toomey, Brian Fitzpatrick, and John Brown won Bucks County in their respective races.
The 2024 elections were mired in controversy in Bucks County, culminating in widespread condemnation of Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, who was filmed on video stating that the "rule of law doesn't matter anymore in this country" in the context of a decision made by the county's Board of Elections to violate the PA State Supreme Court's ruling regarding which provisional ballots can and cannot be counted.
In the early 2020s, school board elections in Bucks County became increasingly politicized amid ongoing culture-war debates over education policy. In recent elections, Democratic candidates made significant gains, reclaiming control of several school boards after sweeping Republican victories in 2021 that had led to controversial conservative policies.

Voter registration

As of October 31, 2025, there are 481,537 registered voters in Bucks County.

County Commissioners

  • Robert J. Harvie Jr., Chair, Democratic
  • Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, Vice Chair, Democratic
  • Gene DiGirolamo, Republican

Law enforcement

The current Bucks County Sheriff is Frederick "Fred" A. Harran. Three members of the Sheriff's Office have died in the line of duty. One was shot and two others died in traffic accidents. The first, Sheriff Abram Kulp was murdered in February 1927.

Communities

[Image:Map of Bucks County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels.png|thumb|300px|Map of Bucks County, Pennsylvania with municipal labels showing boroughs (in red), townships (in white), and census-designated places (in blue)]
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The most populous borough in the county is Morrisville with 10,023 as of the 2000 census. The following boroughs and townships are located in Bucks County:

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

Unincorporated communities

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Historic communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Bucks County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation
1BensalemTownship62,707
2BristolTownship54,291
3LevittownCDP52,699
4MiddletownTownship46,040
5NorthamptonTownship39,915
6FallsTownship34,716
7WarminsterTownship33,603
8Lower MakefieldTownship33,180
9WarringtonTownship25,639
10BuckinghamTownship20,851
11Lower SouthamptonTownship20,599
12NewtownTownship19,895
13DoylestownTownship17,971
14HilltownTownship16,284
15Upper SouthamptonTownship15,269
16WarwickTownship14,851
17PlumsteadTownship14,012
18RichlandTownship13,837
19New BritainTownship12,327
20MilfordTownship10,243
21CroydonCDP10,014
22BristolBorough9,861
23MorrisvilleBorough9,809
24QuakertownBorough9,359
25PerkasieBorough9,120
26Fairless HillsCDP9,046
27Upper MakefieldTownship8,857
28SoleburyTownship8,709
29† DoylestownBorough8,300
30BedminsterTownship7,541
31RichboroCDP6,378
32Newtown GrantCDP5,855
33East RockhillTownship5,819
34West RockhillTownship5,439
35ChurchvilleCDP5,348
36SpringfieldTownship5,175
37Telford Borough4,928
38SellersvilleBorough4,567
39ChalfontBorough4,253
40Village ShiresCDP3,946
41TinicumTownship3,818
42Warminster HeightsCDP3,726
43Brittany Farms-The HighlandsCDP3,695
44TrevoseCDP3,460
45NockamixonTownship3,379
46WoodbourneCDP3,301
47WrightstownTownship3,286
48WoodsideCDP3,133
49FeastervilleCDP3,066
50New BritainBorough2,836
51New HopeBorough2,612
52YardleyBorough2,605
53PlumsteadvilleCDP2,553
54PenndelBorough2,515
55TullytownBorough2,282
56NewtownBorough2,268
57HaycockTownship2,200
58DublinBorough2,177
59EddingtonCDP1,996
60SpinnerstownCDP1,671
61LanghorneBorough1,643
62Langhorne ManorBorough1,496
63RichlandtownBorough1,260
64Cornwells HeightsCDP1,251
65BridgetonTownship1,234
66Milford SquareCDP1,137
67DurhamTownship1,094
68HulmevilleBorough982
69IvylandBorough955
70TrumbauersvilleBorough904
71RiegelsvilleBorough849
72SilverdaleBorough804

Climate

Piedmont Region

According to the Trewartha climate classification system, the Piedmont (United States) section of Bucks County, which is located roughly northwest of U.S. Route 1, has a Temperate Continental Climate with hot and slightly humid summers, cold winters and year-around precipitation. Dcao climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤, four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥, at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. According to the Köppen climate classification system, the climate is a hot-summer, wet all year, humid continental climate. During the summer months in the Piedmont, episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values >. The average wettest month is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity.
During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values <. The plant hardiness zone at Haycock Mountain, elevation, is 6b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of. The average seasonal snowfall total is between depending on elevation and distance from the Atlantic Ocean. The average snowiest month is February which correlates with the annual peak in nor'easter activity. Some areas of the Piedmont farther south and along the river below New Hope are in hardiness zone 7a, as is the Atlantic Coastal Plain region of Bucks.

Atlantic Coastal Plain Region

According to the Trewartha climate classification system, the Atlantic coastal plain section of Bucks County, which is located roughly southeast of U.S. Route 1 has a Temperate Oceanic Climate with hot and slightly humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation. Doak climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature >, four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥, at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. According to the Köppen climate classification, this region has a humid subtropical climate. During the summer months in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values >. The average wettest month is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values <. The plant hardiness zone in Andalusia, Bensalem Twp, elevation, is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of. The average seasonal snowfall total is between depending on elevation and distance from the Atlantic Ocean. The average snowiest month is February which correlates with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Bucks County, Pennsylvania would have a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian Oak with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern Hardwood Forest.

Notable people

Official seal

The traditional seal of Bucks County, Pennsylvania takes its design from the inspiration of the county's founder, William Penn. The center of the seal consists of a shield from the Penn family crest with a tree above and a flowering vine surrounding it in symmetric flanks. The seal has a gold-colored background and a green band denoting Penn as the county's first proprietor and governor.
In 1683, Penn's council decreed that a tree and vine be incorporated into the emblem to signify the county's abundance of woods. The seal was used in its official capacity until the Revolutionary War. The county government has since used the official Pennsylvania state seal for official documents. Today, the Bucks County seal's use is largely ceremonial. It appears on county stationery and vehicles as a symbol of the county's heritage. The gold emblem is also the centerpiece of the official Bucks County flag, which has a blue background and gold trim.