WESTMORELAND County, PA

Westmoreland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. At the 2010 census, the population was 365,169. The county seat is Greensburg. Formed from, successively, Lancaster, Northumberland, and later Bedford Counties, Westmoreland County was founded on February 26, 1773, and was the first county in the colony of Pennsylvania whose entire territorial boundary was located west of the Allegheny Mountains. Westmoreland County originally included the present-day counties of Fayette, Washington, Greene, and parts of Beaver, Allegheny, Indiana, and Armstrong counties. It is named after Westmorland, a historic county of England.

Westmoreland County is included in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Formed from, successively, Lancaster, Northumberland, and later Bedford Counties, Westmoreland County was founded on February 26, 1773, and was the first county in the Pennsylvania colony whose entire territorial boundary was located west of the Allegheny Mountains. Westmoreland County originally included the present-day counties of Fayette, Washington, Greene, and parts of Beaver, Allegheny, Indiana, and Armstrong counties. It is named after Westmorland, a historic county of England.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. Westmoreland has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb). Average monthly temperatures in Greensburg range from 28.7 °F in January to 71.8 °F in July, while in Murrysville they range from 29.4 °F in January to 73.1 °F in July, in Latrobe they range from 28.9 °F in January to 72.0 °F in July, and in Ligonier they range from 28.1 °F in January to 71.1 °F in July. [http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

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Demographics

At the 2010 census, there were 365,169 people, 153,650 households and 101,928 families residing in the county. The population density was 355.4 per square mile (137.2/km²). There were 168,199 housing units at an average density of 163.7 per square mile (63.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.3% White, 2.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 0.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 153,650 households, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.86.

22.3% of the population were under 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

Politics and government

As of November 1, 2021, there are 246,331 registered voters in Westmoreland County.

The Democratic Party historically dominated county-level politics between the New Deal realignment and the turn of the century; however, Westmoreland has trended Republican at the national and statewide levels in the 21st century (in direct lockstep with most other Appalachian counties). In 2000, Republican George W. Bush became the first Republican to carry the county since 1972, and Republicans have carried the county in every election since, increasing the margin of victory in every successive election until 2020. Democratic Governor Ed Rendell lost Westmoreland in both 2002 and 2006. In 2008, Republican Tim Krieger picked up the 57th House district left open by the retirement of Democratic state representative Tom Tangretti. In 2010, both Pat Toomey and Tom Corbett won Westmoreland in their statewide bids. Also, the GOP gained control of two more State House districts, the 54th with Eli Evankovich and the 56th with George Dunbar. In 2011, the Republican Party swept all county row offices. A Democratic resurgence in 2015 gave that party a majority of the county commissioners. However, in the 2019 elections, Democratic elected officials lost that majority and carried only one row office.

As of 2020, the only majority-Dem cities within the county are Arnold and Monessen.

Presidential elections

County commissioners

Other county officials

State House of Representatives

State Senate

United States House of Representatives

United States Senate

Education

Public school districts

thumb|300px|right|Map of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Public charter schools

According to EdNA

Private high school

Colleges and universities

Economy

Coal mining became a major industry in the county after the Civil War, followed by expansion of manufacturing of iron, steel and glass. At one point, company "coal patches" (towns built for miners) represented about one-third of the county's settlements. A major strike by coal miners represented by the United Mine Workers of America took place in 1910-1911. Sixteen people were killed in the strike.

In 2020 the top industries in the county were health care and social services (16.3% of jobs), manufacturing (13.8%) and retail trade (13.7%). Mining comprised less than 1% of the jobs in the county. Westmoreland County is now believed to be the site of over 100 abandoned mines.

Volkswagen's Westmoreland plant near New Stanton in Westmoreland County was the first foreign-owned factory mass-producing automobiles in the U.S. It operated from 1978 to 1988.

Recreation

thumb|upright|Autumn on a small state road near the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Laurel Mountains.

There are four Pennsylvania state parks in Westmoreland County.

Communities

right|thumb|300px|Map of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing cities and 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. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Westmoreland County:

Cities

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas 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, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

Unincorporated communities

Former community

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Westmoreland County.

† county seat

Notable people