It is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of the main campus of Pennsylvania State University, more often referred to as Penn State.
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2 Demographics 3 History |
Geography
State College is located at 40°47'29" North, 77°51'31" West (40.791261, -77.858740)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 11.8 km² (4.5 mi²). 11.8 km² (4.5 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 38,420 people, 12,024 households, and 3,306 families residing in the borough. The population density is 3,267.4/km² (8,459.3/mi²). There are 12,488 housing units at an average density of 1,062.0/km² (2,749.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 84.31% White, 3.69% African American, 0.15% Native American, 8.77% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.38% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 3.02% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 12,024 households out of which 10.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.4% are married couples living together, 3.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 72.5% are non-families. 33.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.69.
The age distribution of State College, which is overwhelmingly influenced by Penn State, is: 5.8% under the age of 18, 65.5% from 18 to 24, 16.2% from 25 to 44, 6.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 22 years. For every 100 females there are 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 109.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $21,186, and the median income for a family is $54,949. Males have a median income of $34,388 versus $27,219 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $12,155. 46.9% of the population and 9.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 10.6% are under the age of 18 and 2.2% are 65 or older. However, traditional measures of poverty can be very misleading when applied to a community like State College which is dominated by students.
History
State College was created as a town to serve the needs of the fledgling Pennsylvania State Farmers' High School, founded in 1855. Since then, the school has grown into the Pennsylvania State College, and in 1959, the Pennsylvania State University, better known as Penn State (http://www.psu.edu ), one of the largest universities in the world. The borough of State College has grown with the university, and the two share a symbiotic relationship. The areas outside of State College are filled with historic towns and villages, immense tracts of farmland, and some of the most beautiful mountains and forests in the eastern United States.
More information can be found at http://www.statecollege.com .