Great Bend is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

in Susquehanna County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States, north of

Scranton Scranton is a city in and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Scranton is the most populous city in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the ...

. 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 ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

, 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 Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...

. 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, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4% Asian, 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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 (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 * Ray Kellogg (actor), was born 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