York County, Pennsylvania

York County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York. The county was created on August 19, 1749, from part of Lancaster County and named either after the Duke of York, an early patron of the Penn family, or for the city and county of York in England. The county is part of the South Central region of the state.
York County comprises the York-Hanover, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, Pennsylvania combined statistical area. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania.
Based on the Articles of Confederation having been adopted in York by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, the local government and business community began referring to York in the 1960s as the first capital of the United States of America. The designation has been debated by historians ever since. Congress considered York and the borough of Wrightsville on the eastern side of York County along the Susquehanna River as the nation's permanent capital before Washington, D.C., was selected.
York County is home to Martin's Potato Chips in Thomasville; Utz Quality Foods, Inc., Snyder's of Hanover, and Hanover Foods in Hanover; Gibble's Potato Chips, and Wolfgang Candy in York; the Emigsville Band in Emigsville; a major manufacturing branch of Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the York International brand of refrigeration/HVAC equipment, and York Barbell. York was the home of The Bon-Ton from 1898 to 2018, and Dentsply Sirona until 2019.

WWW Official Site 𝕏 yorkcounty_pa

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The county is bound to its eastern border by the Susquehanna River. Its southern border is the Mason–Dixon line, which separates Pennsylvania and Maryland. Within the U.S. piedmont region, York County is generally hilly and rises to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwest, where it is bordered by Yellow Breeches Creek. Interior waterways include Codorus and Conewago Creeks, and Lakes Lehman, Kiwanis, Marburg, Pahagaco, Pinchot, Redman, and Williams.

Adjacent counties

Climate

Most of York County has a hot-summer humid continental climate and the hardiness zones are 6b and 7a. The latest temperature averages show some low-lying eastern areas of the county to have a humid subtropical climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 456,438. The median age was 41.4 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.0 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 81.8% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.1% from some other race, and 6.3% from two or more races. Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 8.6% of the population.
71.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 28.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 177,553 households in the county, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.9% were married-couple households, 16.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 187,187 housing units, of which 5.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.6% were owner-occupied and 26.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%.

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2000	Pop 2010		% 2000	% 2010
White alone	349,456	374,779	365,353	91.54%	86.16%	80.04%
Black or African American alone	13,515	22,493	25,768	3.54%	5.17%	5.64%
Native American or Alaska Native alone	568	635	640	0.14%	0.14%	0.14%
Asian alone	3,250	5,336	6,557	0.85%	1.22%	1.43%
Pacific Islander alone	97	108	118	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%
Race and ethnicity in [the United States census\|Other race] alone	278	609	1,768	0.07%	0.14%	0.38%
Mixed race or Multiracial	3,291	6,615	16,874	0.86%	1.52%	3.69%
Hispanic or Latino	11,296	24,397	39,360	2.95%	5.60%	8.62%
Total	381,751	434,972	456,438	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 381,751 people, 148,219 households, and 105,531 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 156,720 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 92.76% White, 3.69% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.96% of the population. 42.0% were of German, 12.6% American, 7.7% Irish, 6.4% English and 5.1% Italian ancestry. 94.8% spoke English and 2.9% Spanish as their first language.
There were 148,219 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.
As of 2006, the York-Hanover Metropolitan Statistical Area was the fastest-growing metro area in the Northeast region, and was ranked among the fastest-growing in the nation, according to the "2006 Population Estimates for Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas". The estimates listed York-Hanover as the 95th fastest-growing metro area in the nation, increasing 9.1 percent between 2000 and 2006.
York city had a 77.3 percent increase in the number of residents of Hispanic or Latino origin, based on a comparison of the 2000 and 2010 U.S. census results. The city's 30.9 percent Hispanic population is more than that of other places in the area.

Dialect

The Central Pennsylvania accent and the Susquehanna dialect are the two most commonly heard speech patterns in the county. Many people of Pennsylvania Dutch descent also inhabit the county, who tend to speak with a Pennsylvania Dutch English dialect.

Metropolitan statistical area

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has designated York County as the York–Hanover, PA metropolitan statistical area. The United States Census Bureau ranked the York–Hanover, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 9th most populous in the state of Pennsylvania, and 115th most populous MSA in the United States as of July 1, 2012.
The Office of Management and Budget has further designated the York–Hanover MSA as a component of the more extensive Harrisburg–York–Lebanon combined statistical area, the 43rd most populous CSA and the 49th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. As of the 2017 estimates, the CSA's 1.26 million people ranks 5th in the state of Pennsylvania.

Politics and government

Prior to 1952, York County was a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections, voting majority Republican only four times before then. Between the founding of the party in 1828 and 1900, the county voted Democratic every time, one of only a handful of counties in Pennsylvania to do so. Starting with the 1952 election, it has become a Republican stronghold with Lyndon Johnson being the lone Democrat to win the county since. Since then, Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008 are the only Democratic presidential candidates who have received over 40% of the county's vote, and George H. W. Bush in 1992 is the only Republican not to win a majority. The only real pockets of Democratic support are in the city of York, which has sent Democrats to the state house without interruption since 1985.

County commissioners

Julie Wheeler, President, Republican
Scott Burford, Vice President, Republican
Doug Hoke, Commissioner, Democrat

Other county offices

Clerk of Courts, Dan Byrnes, Republican
Controller, Greg Bower, Republican
Coroner, Pamela Gay, Republican
District Attorney, Tim Barker, Republican
Prothonotary, Allison Blew, Republican
Recorder of Deeds, Laura Shue, Republican
Register of Wills & Clerk of Orphans' Court, Bryan Tate, Republican
Sheriff, Richard P. Keuerleber III, Republican
Treasurer, Barbara Bair, Republican

Education

[Image:More Color Map of York County Pennsylvania School Districts.png|thumb|Map of York County's public school districts]

Public school districts

School districts include:

Vocational school

York County School of Technology

Public charter schools

Crispus Attucks Youthbuild Charter School – York
Helen Thackston Charter School – York
Lincoln Charter School – York
New Hope Academy Charter School – York
York Academy Regional Charter School
York Adams Academy

Intermediate Unit

Lincoln Intermediate Unit region includes Adams County, Franklin County and York County. The agency offers school districts, home schooled students and private schools many services including: special education services, combined purchasing, and instructional technology services. It runs Summer Academy which offers both art and academic strands designed to meet the individual needs of gifted, talented and high achieving students. Additional services include: Curriculum Mapping, Professional Development for school employees, Adult Education, Nonpublic School Services, Business Services, Migrant & ESL, Instructional Services, Management Services, and Technology Services. It also provides a GED program to adults who want to earn a high school diploma and literacy programs. The Lincoln Intermediate Unit is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, each a member of a local school board from the 25 school districts. Board members are elected by school directors of all 25 school districts for three-year terms that begin the first day of July. There are 29 intermediate units in Pennsylvania. They are funded by school districts, state and federal program specific funding and grants. IUs do not have the power to tax.

Adult education

Communities

[Image:Map of York County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels.png|thumb|Map of York County with municipal labels showing cities and 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 only one case, towns. York County has 72 of these. The following cities, boroughs and townships are in York County:

City

York

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are unincorporated communities 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

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of York County.
† county seat

Rank	City/town/etc.	Municipal type	Population
1	† 'York	City	43,718
2	Hanover	Borough	15,289
3	Weigelstown	CDP	12,875
4	Shiloh	CDP	11,218
5	East York	CDP	8,777
6	Parkville	CDP	6,706
7	Red Lion	Borough	6,373
8	Spry	CDP	4,891
9	West York	Borough	4,617
10	New Freedom	Borough	4,464
11	Dallastown	Borough	4,049
12	Shrewsbury	Borough	3,823
13	Grantley	CDP	3,628
14	Valley Green	CDP	3,429
15	Valley View	CDP	2,817
16	Manchester	Borough	2,763
17	Hallam	Borough	2,673
18	Emigsville	CDP	2,672
19	Dillsburg	Borough	2,563
20	Stonybrook	CDP	2,384
21	Wrightsville	Borough	2,310
22	Susquehanna Trails	CDP	2,264
23	Spring Grove	Borough	2,167
24	Stewartstown	Borough	2,089
25	Glen Rock	Borough	2,025
26	Dover	Borough	2,007
27	Pennville	CDP	1,947
28	North York	Borough	1,914
29	Yorklyn	CDP	1,912
30	Tyler Run	CDP	1,901
31	Jacobus	Borough	1,841
32	Queens Gate	CDP	1,464
33	Mount Wolf	Borough	1,393
34	Windsor	Borough	1,319
35	Loganville	Borough	1,240
36	Yoe	Borough	1,018
37	Goldsboro	Borough	952
38	East Prospect	Borough	905
39	New Market	CDP	816
40	Jefferson	Borough	733
41	Delta	Borough	728
42	York Haven	Borough	709
43	Winterstown	Borough	632
44	New Salem	Borough	579
45	Seven Valleys	Borough	517
46	Cross Roads	Borough	512
47	Felton	Borough	506
48	Franklintown	Borough	489
49	Fawn Grove	Borough	452
50	Lewisberry	Borough	362
51	Railroad	Borough	278
52	Wellsville	Borough	242
53	Yorkana'	Borough	229

Airports

Although York County has no scheduled passenger air service, it has two general-aviation airports: Capital City Airport in Fairview Township in the extreme north and York Airport near Thomasville, just south of US 30. The county participates in the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority with Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, and Franklin counties. The closest passenger service is at Harrisburg International Airport, Lancaster County Airport, and BWI.