Thompsontown, Pennsylvania

Thompsontown, Pennsylvania
Borough
Haldeman Park
Seal
Location of Thompsontown in Juniata County, Pennsylvania.
Thompsontown Show map of Pennsylvania Thompsontown Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°33′53″N77°14′05″W / 40.56472°N 77.23472°W / 40.56472; -77.23472
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Juniata
Settled	1755
Incorporated	1867
Area [1]
• Total	0.33 sq mi (0.84 km2)
• Land	0.33 sq mi (0.84 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2] (benchmark at center of borough)	447 ft (136 m)
Highest elevation [2] (northern boundary of borough)	680 ft (210 m)
Lowest elevation [2] (tributary to Juniata River)	420 ft (130 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	629
• Estimate  (2021) [3]	623
• Density	2,036.81/sq mi (786.66/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip code	17094
Area code	717
FIPS code	42-76536
Website	thompsontown.org

Thompsontown is a borough in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 629 at the 2020 census. ^[3]

History

Thompsontown was founded in 1755 by William Thompson. It is home to the oldest church in Juniata County.

On January 14, 1988, a head-on collision between two Conrail freight trains occurred near Thompsontown, ^[4] resulting into four deaths and two injuries. ^[5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²), all land.

Thompsontown is located in the eastern part of Juniata County and is surrounded by Delaware Township. Many of the town's residents commute to work in Harrisburg and Mifflintown.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	232		—
1870	280		—
1880	280		0.0%
1890	291		3.9%
1900	273		−6.2%
1910	293		7.3%
1920	306		4.4%
1930	325		6.2%
1940	500		53.8%
1950	486		−2.8%
1960	713		46.7%
1970	677		−5.0%
1980	593		−12.4%
1990	582		−1.9%
2000	711		22.2%
2010	697		−2.0%
2020	629		−9.8%
2021 (est.)	623	[3]	−1.0%
Sources: [6] [7] [8]

As of the census ^[7] of 2000, there were 711 people, 348 households, and 202 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,193.1 inhabitants per square mile (846.8/km²). There were 371 housing units at an average density of 1,144.4 units per square mile (441.9 units/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.58% White, 0.14% Native American and 0.28% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.14% of the population.

There were 348 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.66.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $35,938. Males had a median income of $32,115 versus $19,107 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $17,663. About 4.4% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
2. "Thompsontown Topo Map, Juniata County PA (Millerstown Area)". TopoZone. Locality, LLC. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
3. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
4. "On this date: The Thompsontown train wreck". ABC27. January 14, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
5. "4 Dead in Fiery Crash of Coal, Freight Trains". Los Angeles Times. January 15, 1988. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
8. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.

External links

• Official website
• Media related to Thompsontown, Pennsylvania at Wikimedia Commons