Great Bend, Pennsylvania


Great Bend is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States, 39 miles north of Scranton. According to 2010 Census data, Great Bend's population was 734, up 4.7% from 2000. Great Bend sits along the Susquehanna River, less than two miles from the New York State border. Located directly off Interstate 81, tourism is a driving force of the area's economy. Several small manufacturers also call Great Bend home. Great Bend is considered a bedroom community of the Binghamton, NY metropolitan area. Downtown Binghamton is roughly 11 miles from Great Bend. The borough provides residents and guests with three public parks. Billy Greenwood Memorial Park on Kilrow Avenue and Veterans' Memorial Park on Spring St. offer stunning views of the Susquehanna River. Children living in Great Bend are served by the Blue Ridge School District.

History

Great Bend Borough was incorporated on November 19, 1861 from parts of Great Bend Township. Great Bend was named from a bend in the Susquehanna River.

Geography

Great Bend is located at .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of, all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 734 people, 341 households, and 194 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,446.7 people per square mile. There were 369 housing units at an average density of 1,230 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 97.7% White, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% some other race, and 1.6% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race composed 1.4% of the population.
There were 341 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 59.1% from 18 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,776, and the median income for a family was $52,381. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $29,138 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,634. About 1.2% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people