Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Montgomery County is a located in the  of, in the. As of 2000, the population was 750,097. A 2005 estimate placed the population at 795,618, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania, after  and  counties. The county seat is.

The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part of. It is believed to have been either named in honor of, an general killed in  while attempting to capture , , or for the  county of  (which was named after one of 's main counselors, ), as it was part of the  -- an area of Pennsylvania settled by s from. Early histories of the county indicate the origin of the county's name as uncertain.

Montgomery County is a an county northwest of. It is part of the  and marks the region's northern border with the  region of the state.

It is the

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 1,262 (487 ). 1,251 km² (483 sq mi) of it is land and 11 km² (4 sq mi) of it (0.89%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * (north)
 * (northeast)
 * (southeast)
 * (southwest)
 * (west)
 * (northwest)

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 750,097 people, 286,098 households, and 197,693 families residing in the county. The was 599/km² (1,553/sq mi). There were 297,434 housing units at an average density of 238 units/km² (616 units/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 86.46%, 7.46% or , 0.11% , 4.02% , 0.03% , 0.75% from , and 1.16% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population were or  of any race.

Montgomery County is home to large and growing, , and  populations. The county has the second largest foreign-born population in the region.

There were 286,098 households out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $60,829, and the median income for a family was $72,183. Males had a median income of $48,698 versus $35,089 for females. The for the county was $30,898. About 2.80% of families and 4.40% of the population were below the, including 4.60% of those under age 18 and 5.10% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Montgomery County is a suburb of Philadelphia and consequently, many of its residents work in the city. However, Montco is also a major employment center with large business parks in, , and  which attract thousands of workers from all over the region. The strong job base and taxes generated by those jobs have resulted in Montgomery County receiving the highest credit rating of 'AAA' from, one of fewer than 30 counties in the nation with such a rating.

Major employers include:
 * Abington Memorial Hospital
 * /US Healthcare
 * Holy Redeemer Hospital
 * Holy Redeemer Hospital

Population growth
Montgomery County's population grew about 10.6% as of the 2000 census with much of the growth in the western part of the county. Much of the growth is attributable to population shifts in the region. Also, Montgomery County receives a large amount of immigrants, and many migrants from other urban areas, looking for cheaper real estate compared to their areas. Montgomery County provides many expressways to, , and many other places in Pennsylvania.

Politics
As of, there are 538,733 registered voters in Montgomery County.


 * : 211,900 (39.33%)
 * : 247,063 (45.86%)
 * Other Parties: 79,770 (14.81%)

While Republicans have dominated county politics, the Democratic Party has made significant gains in the county over the last 20 years. Most county-level offices are held by Republicans. However, the Republican Presidential candidate has not won Montco since 1988. In addition, the traditionally-Republican has been won by the Democrats in five of the last seven elections. Democrats have also won significant elections for the in recent years, including two GOP-leaning  districts in 2004, the  with  and the  with. In the 2004 election, Republican  won the county over Montco resident, but Democrat  outpolled  in the 2006 Senate election.

Montgomery County is governed by a three-person County Commission. The current composition is two Republicans and one Democrat. By law, the County Commission must have one member of the minority party represented.

The current commissioners are:
 * - Chair - (R)
 * - (R)
 * - (D)

Following the 2007 elections, the Republicans will maintain control of the board with district attorney and former Congressman  joining incumbent Jim Matthews on the board.

The county row officers will be: District Attorney - Risa Vetri Ferman - (R) Sheriff - John Durante Controller - Diane Morgan Clerk of Courts - Ann Thornburg Weiss Recorder of Deeds - Nancy Becker Register of Wills - D. Bruce Hanes Prothonotary - Mark Levy Coroner - Walter Hofman Treasurer - Garrett Page

The new officials will take office in January 2008.

Montgomery County contains parts of six : the, , , , , and.

Municipalities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:, , townships, and, in at most two cases,. The following boroughs and townships are located in Montgomery County:

Communities and Census-Designated Places
s are geographical areas designated by the for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

Colleges and universities

 * - a of
 * - and  campuses and  in
 * - a of
 * - and  campuses and  in
 * - a of
 * - and  campuses and  in
 * - a of
 * - and  campuses and  in
 * - a of
 * - and  campuses and  in
 * - and  campuses and  in



Public School Districts

 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.
 * - exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.

Private secondary schools

 * , formerly known as the Akiba Hebrew Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * , formerly known as the Akiba Hebrew Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * , formerly known as the Akiba Hebrew Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy
 * Lincoln Academy

Night Schools/Adult Education

 * Cheltenham Township Adult School