Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia and Allegheny counties and the most populous county in Pennsylvania without a major city.
The county seat and largest city is Norristown. The county is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area, and marks the area's northern border with the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.
The county borders Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city, to its southeast, Bucks County to its east, Berks and Lehigh counties to its north, Delaware County to its south, and Chester County to its southwest.
The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part of Philadelphia County. The first courthouse was housed in Barley Sheaf Inn. The county is named after Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed on December 31, 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City."History" at Montgomery County official website]
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which was land and (0.9%) of which was water.
Adjacent counties Lehigh County (north) Bucks County (northeast) Philadelphia County (southeast) Delaware County (southwest) Chester County (west) Berks County (northwest)
National protected area Valley Forge National Historical Park (part)
County-owned parks +ParkAcresTrail MilesPerkiomen Valley Park80019Green Lane Park3,40025Schuylkill Canal Park –5Lorimer Park2305.4Lower Perkiomen Valley Park107 –Norristown Farm Park6908Upper Schuylkill Valley Park15 –
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 856,553 and a median age of 41.4 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.7 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 73.3% White (72.2% White, non-Hispanic), 9.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.9% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.9% from some other race, and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.4% of the population.
96.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.3% lived in rural areas.
There were 328,958 households in the county, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.0% were married-couple households, 15.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 346,877 housing units, of which 5.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.8% were owner-occupied and 29.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%.
Racial and ethnic composition +Montgomery County, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)598,528614,659640,019631,784618,24492.99%90.64%85.32%78.99%72.18%Black or African American alone (NH)30,51738,30355,30367,58279,5104.74%5.65%7.37%8.45%9.28%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)4866576887917630.08%0.10%0.09%0.10%0.09%Asian alone (NH)7,43815,81530,12651,35467,7611.16%2.33%4.02%6.42%7.91%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census236221168xx0.03%0.03%0.02%Other race alone (NH)1,2613208751,2063,8630.20%0.05%0.12%0.15%0.45%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census7,55012,70331,732xx1.01%1.59%3.70%Hispanic or Latino (any race)5,3918,35715,30034,23354,5120.84%1.23%2.04%4.28%6.36%Total643,621678,111750,097799,874856,553 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2010 census The largest townships/boroughs in Montgomery County include:
Township/borough Population (2010 US Census) Density mi2 Lower Merion Township 57,825 2,526.1 Abington Township 55,310 3,630.3 Cheltenham Township 36,793 4,083.1 Municipality of Norristown 34,324 9,806.9 Upper Merion Township 28,395 1,593.3 Horsham Township 26,147 1,398.6 Upper Dublin Township 25,569 1,960.7 Lower Providence Township 25,436 1,458.8 Montgomery Township 24,790 2,067.1 Upper Moreland Township 24,015 3,202
Economy
Montgomery County is a suburb of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth most populous city. Many Montco residents work in the city, but the county is also a major employment center with large business parks in Blue Bell, Lansdale, Fort Washington, Horsham, and King of Prussia attracting 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 Standard & Poor's, one of fewer than 30 counties in the United States with such a rating."Montgomery County," Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association In 2012, Moody's downgraded the general obligation rating to Aa1, and in 2018 the rating was revised back to Aaa.
Major employers include:Top 50 Employers by County – Montgomery
Abington School District ABM Industries ACTS Retirement-Life Communities Aetna Arcadia University Giant GlaxoSmithKline Hatfield Quality Meats Hatboro-Horsham School District Holy Redeemer Health System Janssen Jefferson Abington Hospital Lockheed Martin Lower Merion School District King of Prussia mall Main Line Health McNeil Consumer Healthcare Merck Montgomery County Community College Motorola Mobility Norristown Area School District North Penn School District Pfizer Prudential Quaker Chemical Corporation Quest Diagnostics SEI Investments Company Souderton Area School District Spring-Ford Area School District
Education
Colleges and universities
Arcadia University Bryn Athyn College Bryn Mawr College Drexel University Elkins Park Campus Gwynedd Mercy University Harcum College Haverford College Manor College Montgomery County Community College Penn State Abington – a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Rosemont College St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Saint Joseph's University Temple University – Ambler Ursinus College Westminster Theological Seminary
Public school districts
School districts: – Text list – See also county's school district map
Abington School District Boyertown Area School District Cheltenham Township School District Colonial School District Hatboro-Horsham School District Jenkintown School District Lower Merion School District Lower Moreland Township School District Methacton School District Norristown Area School District North Penn School District Perkiomen Valley School District Pottsgrove School District Pottstown School District Souderton Area School District Springfield Township School District Spring-Ford Area School District Upper Dublin School District Upper Merion Area School District Upper Moreland School District Upper Perkiomen School District Wissahickon School District Bryn Athyn School District – exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.Meetings & Notices
Private secondary schools
Academy Of The New Church Boys School Academy Of The New Church Girls School Abington Friends School The Baldwin School AIM Academy Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, formerly known as the Akiba Hebrew Academy Bishop McDevitt High School (closed) Calvary Baptist School Coventry Christian Schools Dock Mennonite Academy Friends' Central School Germantown Academy Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School Haverford School The Hill School Huntingdon Valley Christian Academy Indian Creek Mennonite School Lakeside School Lansdale Catholic High School La Salle College High School Lincoln Academy Main Line Academy Martin Luther School Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Catholic School Meadowbrook School Merion Mercy Academy Mount Saint Joseph Academy New Life Youth and Family Services The Pathway School The Perkiomen School Phil-Mont Christian Academy Pope John Paul II Catholic High School, replaced Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School and Saint Pius X High School in 2010. Reformation Christian School Saint Aloysius School Saint Basil Academy (closed) Saint Katherine Day School Stowe Lighthouse Christ Academy The Shipley School Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia Trinity Christian Academy Valley Christian School at Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church Valley Forge Baptist Academy Wordsworth Academy Wyncote Academy
Night schools/adult education Abington Township Adult School Cheltenham Township Adult School
Communities
Under Pennsylvania law, five types of incorporated municipalities are listed: cities, boroughs, townships, home rule municipalities (which can include communities that bear the name "Borough" or "Township") and, in at most two cases, towns. These boroughs, townships, and home rule municipalities are located in Montgomery County:
Home rule municipalities Bryn Athyn Cheltenham Township Horsham Township Norristown (county seat) Plymouth Township Whitemarsh Township
Boroughs
Ambler Bridgeport Bryn Athyn Collegeville Conshohocken East Greenville Green Lane Hatboro Hatfield Jenkintown Lansdale Narberth Norristown North Wales Pennsburg Pottstown Red Hill Rockledge Royersford Schwenksville Souderton Telford (lies partly in Bucks County) Trappe West Conshohocken
Townships
Abington Cheltenham Douglass East Norriton Franconia Hatfield Horsham Limerick Lower Frederick Lower Gwynedd Lower Merion Lower Moreland Lower Pottsgrove Lower Providence Lower Salford Marlborough Montgomery New Hanover Perkiomen Plymouth Salford Skippack Springfield Towamencin Upper Dublin Upper Frederick Upper Gwynedd Upper Hanover Upper Merion Upper Moreland Upper Pottsgrove Upper Providence Upper Salford West Norriton West Pottsgrove Whitemarsh Whitpain Worcester
Unincorporated areas
Census-designated places Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the United States Census Bureau 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.
Arcadia University Ardmore Audubon Bala Cynwyd Blue Bell Bryn Mawr Cheltenham (Cheltenham Village) Eagleville Elkins Park Evansburg Flourtown Fort Washington Gilbertsville Glenside Halfway House Harleysville Haverford College Horsham King of Prussia Kulpsville McKinley Maple Glen Merion Station Mont Clare Montgomeryville Oreland Penn Wynne Plymouth Meeting Pottsgrove Rosemont Roslyn Sanatoga Skippack Spring House Spring Mount Stowe Swedeland Trooper Villanova (partly in Delaware County) Willow Grove Woxall Wyncote Wyndmoor
Even though the historic village of Valley Forge, as well as the park, are partially located within Montgomery County, the modern village is in Chester County, PA
Other communities
Ardsley Bethayres Dresher Frederick, a village in New Hanover Township.Upper Frederick Township, Pennsylvania Graterford Gladwyne Gwynedd Gwynedd Valley Huntingdon Valley (small sections in Bucks County) Lafayette Hill Lederach Linfield Meadowbrook Melrose Park Oaks Port Providence Wynnewood (partly in Delaware County)
Population ranking The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Montgomery County.
† county seat