Exeter, Pennsylvania
| Exeter, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| — Borough — | |
 Exeter, Pennsylvania
|
|
| Coordinates: 41°19′32″N 75°49′10″W / 41.32556°N 75.81944°WCoordinates: 41°19′32″N 75°49′10″W / 41.32556°N 75.81944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Luzerne |
| Settled | |
| Incorporated | 1884 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough Council |
| • Mayor | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.5 sq mi (14 km2) |
| • Land | 4.2 sq mi (11 km2) |
| • Water | 1.3 sq mi (3 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 5,955 |
| • Density | 1,278.4/sq mi (493.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Zip code | |
| Area code(s) | 570 |
Exeter is a borough in the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Scranton. The borough is in the middle of a fertile agricultural area, and some lumber and coal-mining had been carried out early on. In 1900, the population consisted of 1,948 persons; in 1910, 3,537 persons; and in 1940, 5,802 persons. The population was 5,955 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Exeter is located at 41°19′32″N 75°49′10″W / 41.32556°N 75.81944°W (41.325530, -75.819353)[1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km2), of which, 4.7 square miles (12 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it (6.25%) is water. It lies on the west side of the Susquehanna River and has two distinct islands: Wintermoot and Scovell. It also has a number of smaller islands.
Its zip code is 18643, shared with West Pittston, PA as well.
[edit] History
The name Exeter derives from the ancient city of Exeter in Devon, England. Numerous other places have also been given the name Exeter.
[edit] Noteworthy Information
 |
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009) |
Mayor Cassandra Coleman was appointed to office in 2008 amid much contention. She is a 21-year-old political science student at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She was recommended for the position to council by her grandfather, Mayor Joseph F. Coyne III, before his passing.
Exeter Borough resides within the Wyoming Area School District. Wyoming Area Catholic School is the town's private school.
A controversial Wal-Mart store has been proposed on Route 11 within the borough. Although the economic, environmental, and transportation-related impacts of a 'big box' store within city limits are of great concern, the community remains polarized. Currently, the city council is weighing the numerous negative impacts against the potential economic gains.[2] A nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter is already under construction in nearby Pittston Township and is already having a negative collateral impact on the community.[3]
The issues range from the potential job-loss at nearby Price Chopper and both Gerrity's supermarkets, to further stresses to the Hicks Creek watershed and subsequent flooding to recently-added housing developments, such as Wildflower Village, to the several-thousand-car-and-truck per-day influx on the limited transportational infrastructure.
Members of the community were prompted to form 'Exeter First' in order "to promote efficient use of existing resources, and encourage sustainable growth and development of Exeter Borough, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania including how these actions affect surrounding communities." Their central goal is to bring to light the common impacts of Wal-Mart.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 5,955 people, 2,482 households, and 1,640 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,278.4 people per square mile (493.4/km²). There were 2,641 housing units at an average density of 567.0 per square mile (218.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.69% White, 0.49% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.03% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 2,482 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $31,681, and the median income for a family was $40,050. Males had a median income of $31,569 versus $21,693 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $16,022. About 7.6% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] References
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ http://www.timesleader.com/pittstondispatch/news/Exeter_Council_agrees_to_third_hearing_on_Wal-Mart_09-13-2009.html
- ^ http://www.timesleader.com/news/Wal-Mart_project_upsets_nearby_residents_07-29-2009.html
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
