Parks Township, Pennsylvania

Parks Township, Pennsylvania
Township
Along Pennsylvania Route 66 in North Vandergrift
Map of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, highlighting Parks Township
Map of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Armstrong
Settled	1814
Incorporated	1878
Area [1]
• Total	14.20 sq mi (36.78 km2)
• Land	14.04 sq mi (36.35 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,471
• Estimate  (2021) [2]	2,455
• Density	186.81/sq mi (72.13/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	42-005-58160

Parks Township is a township in Armstrong County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 2,471 at the 2020 census, ^[2] a decrease from 2,744 at the 2010 census. ^[3]

Geography

Parks Township is located in southern Armstrong County; the Kiskiminetas River forms the township's southern boundary with Westmoreland County. Carnahan Run flows through Parks Township. ^[4]

The township includes the unincorporated communities of North Vandergrift, Kepple Hill, Pleasant View, River View, and Kiskimere, all in the Kiskiminetas River valley. Farther inland is the community of Dime.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 14.2 square miles (36.8 km²), of which 14.1 square miles (36.4 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km²), or 1.16%, is water. ^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2010	2,744		—
2020	2,471		−9.9%
2021 (est.)	2,455	[2]	−0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

As of the 2000 census, ^[6] there were 2,754 people, 1,108 households, and 794 families residing in the township. The population density was 195.4 inhabitants per square mile (75.4/km²). There were 1,186 housing units at an average density of 84.2 per square mile (32.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.21% White, 3.23% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.91% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 1,108 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.92.

The township median age of 41 years was slightly more than the county median age of 40 years. The distribution by age group was 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $29,915, and the median income for a family was $37,827. Males had a median income of $33,250 versus $20,461 for females. The per capita income for the township was $13,818. About 12.6% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Environmental cleanup

The Shallow Land Disposal Area site (part of NUMEC) was under cleanup by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as of 2010. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

History

Parks Township was originally merged with the neighboring townships of Bethel and Gilpin, known as Allegheny Township. ^{[10] [11]} In 1878, finding it was too large to manage and supervise, the three split and Parks Township was incorporated.

Cemeteries

• Highfield Lutheran Church Cemetery ^[12]
• Keppel Burial Ground ^[13]
• Laurel Point Cemetery ^[14]
• Parks Family Cemetery ^[15]
• Porter Cemetery ^[16]

References

1. "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
2. Bureau, US Census. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Parks township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
4. "Carnahan Run". Geographic Names Information System. August 2, 1979. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
7. Thomas, Mary Ann (June 22, 2010). "NUMEC cleanup balloons to $170M". Aspinwall Herald. Tribune-Review Publishing Company. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
8. "Information Meeting on the Remediation of Babcock and Wilcox's Parks Township Shallow Land Disposal Area in Armstrong County, PA". 1994. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
9. "Shallow Land Disposal Area Parks Township, Pennsylvania" (PDF). 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
10. "Atlas of Armstrong County Pennsylvania, page 26". Pomeroy, Whitman & Co. 1876. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
11. Robert Walter Smith (1883). "History of Armstrong County Pennsylvania, Chapter 5, page 256". Chicago: Waterman, Watkins. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
12. "Highfield Lutheran Church Cemetery". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
13. "Keppel Burial Ground". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
14. "Laurel Point Cemetery". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
15. "Parks Family Cemetery". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
16. "Porter Cemetery". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

40°36′54″N79°34′45″W / 40.61500°N 79.57917°W / 40.61500; -79.57917