Township+Demographics

Over the past fifty years, the township's population has grown exponentially. The growth was fastest from 1950 to 1980, when the population almost quadrupled. Over the past two decades, however, the growth has been at a much slower, steadier pace. This increase in population alone helped contribute to Upper Merion's transition from a small community into a more developed, impersonal town.



Not only have the sheer numbers increased, but the age distribution has shifted as well. When comparing 1970 to 2000, it is clear that the percentage of school-age residents has decreased, while the percentages of adults and senior citizens have increased. The baby boom of Upper Merion is getting older, and in turn they are having fewer children.

Accompanying the population increase, the number of housing units has expanded. Increased development has added to the weakening sense of community in the township. Before, neighborhoods were close-knit and were along the lines of the quintessential suburban developments: people hosted block parties, kids played together in the street, and residents enjoyed a sense of safety and community responsibility. Although Upper Merion has retained some sense of distinct neighborhoods, most neighborhoods have lost the close-knit feel of earlier times. While this points to a weakening of specific neighborhood communal ties, it might point to a strengthening of communal ties to Upper Merion Township as a whole.

Despite an increase in population, the household size (the number of people living in each home) has decreased. This follows the national trend of post-baby boom families have fewer children.


 * I acquired all of these statistics from the Upper Merion Township Community Profile, created by the township's Department of Public Works/Planning Division in 2003.

This chart shows that UM has been, and remains, a predominately white township. However, in 1960 99% of the population was white, while in 2000 around 85% of the population what white.

Looking more closely at the non-white population, we can see how from 1990 from 2000 UM became more racially and ethnically diverse. In particular, the number of Asians in the township more than doubled. While I could not find statistics for today, it seems likely that these trends have continued. These changes are interesting because in a recent study, sociologist Robert Putnam found that in more diverse areas people are less likely to know their neighbors and be involved in community organizations. So while diversity in a community is positive in lots of ways, it might also pose some challenges to creating a sense of community.



Levels of education have also increased over time. Whereas in 1960 only 17%of the population has a college degree or more, by 2000 50% of the total population held a college degree or more. This mirrors a national trend of increased levels of education over time. But it is worth noting that in each one of these years, UM residents were more highly educated than the population as a whole. This suggests that UM was and continues to be a middle class community.

From looking at these statistics and talking to my interview subjects, it seems that Upper Merion used to be much like the quintessential small town. Despite a shift over the years to a more developed, impersonal area, UM has not yet become a "bedroom community." While communal ties are weaker than they once were, they are still present in this township and help contribute to the sense of "community" felt by many residents.