Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population is 750,097. It is believed to have been named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada, but it is not certain that this is the origin of the name.

Montgomery County is a suburban county northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and part of the Delaware Valley area.

Geography

The county has a total area of 1,262 km2 (487 mi2). 1,251 km2 (483 mi2) of it is land and 11 km2 (4 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.89% water.

Demographics

As of 2000, there are 750,097 people, 286,098 households, and 197,693 families residing in the county. The population density is 599/km2 (1,553/mi2). There are 297,434 housing units at an average density of 238 persons/km2 (616 persons/mi2). The racial makeup of the county is 86.46% White, 7.46% African American, 0.11% Native American, 4.02% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 286,098 households out of which 32.00% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% are married couples living together, 8.80% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 30.90% are non-families. 25.60% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.90% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.54 and the average family size is 3.09.

In the county, the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.00 males.

Cities and Towns