This county is part of the Delaware Valley area.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 589 km² (228 mi²). 576 km² (222 mi²) of it is land and 14 km² (5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.32% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 508,932 people, 185,744 households, and 129,835 families residing in the county. The population density is 884/km² (2,289/mi²). There are 199,679 housing units at an average density of 347/km² (898/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 70.88% White American, 18.09% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 3.72% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.09% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. 9.66% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 185,744 households out of which 34.60% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.80% are married couples living together, 15.40% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% are non-families. 25.10% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.70% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.68 and the average family size is 3.23.
In the county the population is spread out with 26.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $48,097, and the median income for a family is $57,429. Males have a median income of $41,609 versus $30,470 for females. The per capita income for the county is $22,354. 10.40% of the population and 8.10% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 14.50% are under the age of 18 and 8.10% are 65 or older.
Cities and towns