Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania

Tunkhannock is a borough in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Wilkes-Barre. In the past, lumbering was carried on extensively. Today, many residents are employed by the Procter & Gamble plant in nearby Washington Township. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 1,836. It is the county seat of Wyoming County. Tunkhannock is in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The name Tunkhannock comes from the Minsi-Len'api term Ptuk'hanna'unk, which means "Bend-in-river-place," especially to the town's west, upstream at the radical bend called "The Neck." Modern Tunkhannock, Lackawanna County, The Tunkhannock Historic District, bounded by Tioga, Pine, and Harrison Sts and Wyoming Ave, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in August, 2005.

Tunkhannock is home to the Wyoming County Historical Society and Genealogical Library. The library offers a major source of research material to the public. The collection includes numerous books on New England ancestry, newspapers dating back to 1797 and census records for Wyoming and surrounding counties from 1790 to 1930. Also on file are records for over 90 area cemeteries as well as various other information about local history.

Tunkhannock is also the home of the Northern Tier Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Conductor Robert Helmacy.

General information

 * Area Code: 570 Exchange: 836
 * ZIP code: 18657
 * Main streets/roads: Route 29 (Bridge Street), Business Route 6 (Tioga Street), Route 6 (Tunkhannock Bypass / Grand Army of the Republic Hwy), Route 92
 * Voting Information: four wards (numbered 1,2,3,4); elected Borough Council

Geography
Tunkhannock is located at 41.54083°N, -75.94778°W (41.540836, -75.947703).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.9 square mile (2.3 km²), all of it land.

Transportation
Skyhaven Airport is a public use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) south of the central business district of Tunkhannock.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there are 1,836 people, 817 households, and 447 families residing in the borough. The population density is 2,040 people per square mile (787.6/km²). There are 871 housing units at an average density of 967.8 per square mile (378/km²). The racial makeup of the borough is 95.9% White, 0.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 817 households out of which 25.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% are married couples living together, 12% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% are non-families. 40.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 20% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.15 and the average family size is 2.92.

In the borough the population is spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 57% from 18 to 64, and 20.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43.5 years.

The median income for a household in the borough is $37,071, and the median income for a family is $56,250. Males have a median income of $43,098 versus $31,313 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $23,110. 2.4% of the population and 6.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, none of those under the age of 18 and 8.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Government
The borough is represented by a council-manager government.

Notable people

 * Frank Charles Bunnell - U.S. Congressman (1872–1873, 1885–1889)
 * Charles E. Dietrich - U.S. Congressman (1935–1937)
 * Benjamin F. Harding - U.S. Senator from Oregon (1862–1865)
 * Jim Hudock - U. of North Carolina basketball captain 1961-62
 * Mike Hudock - professional football player
 * Mike Papi - professional baseball player (Cleveland Indians organization)
 * Christopher Ries - Glass Sculptor
 * Donald Sherwood - U.S. Congressman (1999–2007)
 * Walter Tewksbury - 1900 Summer Olympics Gold Medalist