Great Bend is a borough in Susquehanna County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States, north of

Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

. According to 2020 Census data, Great Bend's population was 634, down 13.6% from 2010. Great Bend sits along the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

, less than two miles (about 3 km) from the New York State border, and is located directly off

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

. Several small manufacturers also call Great Bend home. Great Bend is considered a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

of the Binghamton, NY metropolitan area. Downtown Binghamton is roughly from Great Bend. The borough has three public parks. Billy Greenwood Memorial Park on Kilrow Avenue and Veterans' Memorial Park on Spring St. overlook the Susquehanna River. Great Bend is within the Blue Ridge School District.

History

Great Bend Borough was incorporated on November 19, 1861 from parts of Great Bend Township. Great Bend was named from a bend in the Susquehanna River.

Geography

Great Bend is located at (41.973226, -75.744376). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the borough has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 734 people, 341 households, and 194 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 369 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 97.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.3% some other race, and 1.6% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race composed 1.4% of the population. There were 341 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.74. In the borough the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 59.1% from 18 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. The median income for a household in the borough was $41,776, and the median income for a family was $52,381. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $29,138 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $21,634. About 1.2% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Charles L. Catlin, Wisconsin state legislator and lawyer, was born in Great Bend.'Wisconsin Blue Book 1899,' Biographical Sketch of Charles L. Catlin, pg. 769 *

Fanny DuBois Chase Fanny DuBois Chase (, DuBois; pen name, Mrs. S. B. Chase; November 24, 1828 – December 6, 1902) was an American social reformer and author, prominent in temperance and missionary circles. She was the first National President of the Woman's Chris ...

(1828–1902), social reformer and author * Sylvia Dubois (1778/89 - 1888), African-American woman born into slavery, became free after striking her mistress while living in Great Bend

References

External links

{{authority control Boroughs in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1861 Pennsylvania populated places on the Susquehanna River 1861 establishments in Pennsylvania