McKean County, Pennsylvania


McKean County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,450. Its county seat is Smethport. The county was created in 1804 and organized in 1826. It was named in honor of former Pennsylvania Governor and Declaration of Independence signer Thomas McKean.
McKean County comprises the Bradford, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is in a sparsely populated region known as the "Pennsylvania Wilds", including the Allegheny National Forest and borders New York. McKean County is home of "The Zippo Lighter" and boasts of being "The Black Cherry Capital of the World."
McKean County was founded because of its natural resources of oil and timber, both of which continue to provide a significant input to the economy. Today, a university, rural medical center, and manufacturing companies balance the area's economy.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of, of which is land and is water. It has a warm-summer humid continental climate and average monthly temperatures in downtown Bradford range from 23.0 °F in January to 67.6 °F in July, while in Mount Jewett they range from 21.2 °F in January to 65.1 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

As of the 2000 census, there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile. There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 96.46% White, 1.87% Black, 0.32% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 1.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 35.0% German, 22.2% Irish, 14.6% Italian, 12.3% English, 10.0% Swedish, 8.6% American, 5.8% Polish, and 3.7% French ancestry.
There were 18,024 households out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 23.70% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.70 males.
;Live birth rate
McKean County's live birth rate was 632 births in 1990. The County's live birth rate in 2000 was 473 births, while in 2011 it had declined to 447 babies. Over the past 50 years, rural Pennsylvania saw a steady decline in both the number and proportion of residents under 18 years old. In 1960, 1.06 million rural residents, or 35 percent of the rural population, were children.
;County poverty demographics:
According to research by The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, which is a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the poverty rate for McKean County was 16.6% in 2014. The statewide poverty rate was 13.6% in 2014. The 2012 childhood poverty rate by school district was: Bradford Area School District - 48.4% living at 185% or below than the Federal Poverty Level and Kane Area School District - 42.3, Otto-Eldred School District -49.8%, Port Allegany School District - 46.8, and Smethport Area School District - 44.8%.

Micropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated McKean County as the Bradford, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2010 U.S. Census the micropolitan area ranked 13th most populous in Pennsylvania and the 277th most populous in the United States with a population of 43,450.

Law and government

State Senate

Public school districts

The 500 school districts of Pennsylvania were ranked for student academic achievement by the in 2008.
As reported by , Pennsylvania Department of Education, June 2010.
There is one Pennsylvania state park in McKean County. Kinzua Bridge State Park is between U.S. Route 6 and Pennsylvania Route 59, just east of the Allegheny National Forest near Mount Jewett. When it was built, it was the highest and longest railroad bridge in the world. It was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and its Bureau of Parks as one of "Twenty Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks" and is a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. A tornado destroyed much of the bridge in 2003.

Communities

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 McKean County:

City

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of McKean County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation
1BradfordCity8,770
2KaneBorough3,730
3Port AlleganyBorough2,157
4† SmethportBorough1,655
5Foster BrookCDP1,251
6Mount JewettBorough919
7EldredBorough875
8Lewis RunBorough617
9RewCDP199