Scranton, PA

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Introduction to Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton is located in Lackawanna County in the northeastern portion of Pennsylvania. It's the biggest city in a group of neighboring municipalities that were formerly coal mining communities. In 1866 Scranton was incorporated as a city. The Green Ridge and the Hill Section of Scranton feature the mansions constructed by former coal entrepreneurs.

History

The area of Scranton was settled by pioneers from New England during the late 1700's. In the middle of the 1800's the iron and steel industries caused significant growth in the Scranton area. In 1851 the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad was established to move iron products as well as coal out of the Lackawanna Valley. The borough of Scranton was incorporated in 1856 and took its name in recognition of the brothers Seldon and George Scranton who began their industrial careers by producing T-rails for the railroads and helped to transform Scranton into a significant industrial area. In 1886 Scranton became home to the country's first successful continuously working electric streetcar system.

The city became known as "the Electric City." In 1890 an additional three other railroads had built systems to transport the vast quantity of coal located in the area. Due to the decreased supply of the region's iron ore the Lackawanna Steel Company moved out of Scranton and the city no longer had the industry that established the city. Scranton then became the center of the coal industry in the state of Pennsylvania. The production of coal and railroad traffic decreased significantly during the 1950's.

Transportation

The County of Lackawanna Transit System offers bus services for the city. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is situated in neighboring Avoca. Martz Trailways and Greyhound Lines offer bus transportation to cities located in the Northeast.

Attractions

There are numerous attractions in the Scranton area including:

• The Steamtown National Historic Site
• The Everhart Museum
• The Scranton Iron Furnaces
• The Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Ann
• The Houdini Museum
• The Electric City Trolley Museum
• Nay Aug Park
• Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple

Higher Education

The University of Scranton is a Jesuit University. The university is comprised of four colleges; The Panuska College of Professional Studies, The College of Arts and Sciences, The Kania School of Management and The College of Graduate and Continuing Education. Other colleges in the area include:

• Lackawanna College
• Keystone College
• Penn State Worthington Scranton Campus
• Marywood University
• Johnson College

High Points

Scranton strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Pennsylvania):

Category	Trophy
Affordability of Rents (vs. Peers)	Top 5%
Short Commute Times (vs. State)	Top 10%
Racial Diversity (vs. State)	Top 16%

Comparative Profile of Scranton, PA

Comparing Scranton to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Pennsylvania (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Senior Citizens
Female Share of the Population
Age of the Population
Well-Paid Single Women
Well-Paid Single Men
Racial Diversity
Children Under 5 Years Old
Male Share of the Population

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Portion of People Married
Average Household Size

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
People Above Poverty
People in Middle Class or Better
College Educated Adults
Median Family Income

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Short Commute Times
Walking and Biking to Work
Public Transportation Use
Working at Home

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
People Living Alone
Affordability of Rents
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Affordability of Property Taxes
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
Housing Recently Built

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Property Crime
Low Violent Crime

Scranton Almanac

Scranton Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Scranton Public Libraries

More Information for Librarians

Scranton Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Political Contributions (2004)

Money donated by Scranton residents to parties and candidates for the 2004 elections.

by Political Party

by Presidential Candidate

Nearby Cities and Towns

Scranton Hospitals

MERCY HOSPITAL SCRANTON
(Voluntary non-profit - Church)
746 JEFFERSON AVE
(570) 348-7100
Emergency Service: Yes

COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER
(Voluntary non-profit - Private)
1822 MULBERRY ST
(570) 969-7000
Emergency Service: Yes

MOSES TAYLOR HOSPITAL
(Voluntary non-profit - Private)
700 QUINCY AVE
(717) 963-2100
Emergency Service: Yes

Scranton High Schools (2004)

SCRANTON HS
570-348-3481
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 1,847 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

WEST SCRANTON HS
570-348-3616
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 906 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 12.2

SCRANTON STATE SCHOOL FOR DEAF
570-963-4546
A Special Education School
A Title I school.
Serves 104 students.

Scranton Colleges

Click school name for a detailed profile.

Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County

Johnson College

Lackawanna College

Marywood University

University of Scranton

Yeshivath Beth Moshe

(List of All Pennsylvania Colleges)

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