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Mifflin County, Pennsylvania

Mifflin County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,143.[1] Its county seat is Lewistown.[2][1] 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.[a]

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,[3] with its highest point (Broad Mtn) 1.25 miles (2.01 km) East Northeast from the county's Northwest corner, just south of the county's border with Centre County. It measures 2,339 ft (713 m) Above sea level.[4] The Juniata River flows northeast through the lower part of the county, exiting northeastward into Juniata County near Hawstone.[5] The county has a total area of 415 square miles (1,070 km2), of which 411 square miles (1,060 km2) is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2) (0.9%) is water.[6]

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,[7] 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.[8]

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.

The county has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and average temperatures in downtown Lewistown range from 27.8 °F in January to 72.7 °F in July.[9]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Protected areas

Demographics

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 113.6 people per square mile (43.9 people/km2). There were 21,537 housing units at an average density of 52.4 units per square mile (20.2/km2). 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, Dutch, or German at home.[16]

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.

2020 census

Amish community

The Amish community in Mifflin County, established in 1791, had a total population of 3,905 people (in 30 congregations) in 2017,[18] 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 also can 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[19] has designated Mifflin County as the Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA).[20] As of the 2010 United States Census[21] 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

County Auditors

Other County Officers

State Representatives[22]

(as of January 2023)

State Senator[22]

(as of January 2023)

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

Map of Mifflin County Pennsylvania Public School Districts

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. (Closed 2019)

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

FM

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:

Newspapers

Communities

Mifflin County, showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, 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.[21]

† county seat

See also

References

  1. ^ Includes Centre, Lycoming, Northumberland, Columbia, Mifflin, Union, Snyder, Clinton, Juniata and Montour Counties
  1. ^ a b "QuickFacts: Mifflin County, Pennsylvania". Census.gov. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Mifflin County PA" - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  4. ^ "Broad Mountain Pennsylvania" - PeakBagger.com (accessed 23 May 2019)
  5. ^ Mifflin County PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  7. ^ "About the Appalachian Region". Appalachian Regional Commission. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  8. ^ Woodard, Colin. "The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line". New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  9. ^ "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University".
  10. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  12. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  14. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  15. ^ "Census 2020".
  16. ^ "Language Map Data Center". www.mla.org. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  17. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Mifflin County, Pennsylvania".
  18. ^ The 12 Largest Amish Communities (2017) at Amish America
  19. ^ "Office of Management and Budget". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  20. ^ "Businesses that Received Forms in 2012: Pennsylvania - U.S. Census Bureau". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  21. ^ a b Promotions, Center for New Media and. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  22. ^ a b Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  23. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  24. ^ Snyder, Union, Mifflin Child Development Report. Feb 2010
  25. ^ Sacred Heart School/Academics (accessed 23 May 2019)
  26. ^ County Observer (Manta, accessed 23 May 2019)
  27. ^ Anderson PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  28. ^ Anderson PA (MapQuest, accessed 23 May 2019)
  29. ^ Belltown PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  30. ^ Belltown PA (MapQuest, accessed 23 May 2019)
  31. ^ Hawstone PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  32. ^ Hawstone, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania (Hometown Locator, accessed 23 May 2019)
  33. ^ Little Kansas PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  34. ^ Little Kansas PA (MapQuest, accessed 23 May 2019)
  35. ^ Menno PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  36. ^ Menno PA (MapQuest, accessed 23 May 2019)
  37. ^ Naginey, Mifflin County PA (Roadside Thoughts Gazeteer; accessed 23 May 2019)
  38. ^ Naginey PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  39. ^ Ryde PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  40. ^ Ryde PA (MapQuest, accessed 23 May 2019)
  41. ^ Shindle PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  42. ^ Shindle PA (MapQuest, accessed 23 May 2019)
  43. ^ Union Mills PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  44. ^ Union Mills PA (MapQuest, accessed 23 May 2019)
  45. ^ Woodland PA - Google Maps (accessed 23 May 2019)
  46. ^ Woodland PA (MapQuest, accessed 23 May 2019)

Further reading

External links

40°37′N 77°37′W / 40.61°N 77.62°W / 40.61; -77.62