Crafton, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Crafton is a borough
in Allegheny County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
, west of downtown Pittsburgh. The population grew from 1,927 in 1900 to 4,583 in 1910 and to 7,163 in 1940. The population was 5,951 at the 2010 census.
who was granted land near the "forks of the Ohio
" in present-day Oakland
. The sale of this land part financed purchases of land in the Chartiers valley
. Charles Craft, son of James, divided the land into lots on the death of his father and submitted it to the Allegheny County Courthouse as Crafton. Following a period of building, the borough was incorporated in 1882, with Charles as the first burgess.
Crafton was linked to downtown Pittsburgh by trolley
in 1896. The service ended when the Fort Pitt Bridge
was built without trolley tracks.
Crafton was rated as being the best place to raise children in Pennsylvania, according to Bloomberg Businessweek's "Best Places to Raise Your Kids 2011".
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 6,706 people, 3,079 households, and 1,613 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 5,916.0 people per square mile (2,291.3/km²). There were 3,344 housing units at an average density of 2,950.1 per square mile (1,142.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.50% White, 2.74% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races
, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 3,080 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $38,323, and the median income for a family was $52,386. Males had a median income of $38,292 versus $24,497 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $21,441. About 3.4% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
head coach Bill Cowher
is a native of Crafton and attended Carlynton High School.
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
in Allegheny County
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, west of downtown Pittsburgh. The population grew from 1,927 in 1900 to 4,583 in 1910 and to 7,163 in 1940. The population was 5,951 at the 2010 census.
History
Crafton is named after James S. Craft, a frontier attorneyAttorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
who was granted land near the "forks of the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
" in present-day Oakland
Oakland (Pittsburgh)
Oakland is the academic, cultural, and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest "Downtown". Only Center City Philadelphia and Downtown Pittsburgh can claim more economic and social activity than Oakland...
. The sale of this land part financed purchases of land in the Chartiers valley
Chartiers Creek
Chartiers Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. The creek was named after Pierre Chartiers, a trapper of French and Native American parentage who established a trading post at the mouth of the creek in 1743....
. Charles Craft, son of James, divided the land into lots on the death of his father and submitted it to the Allegheny County Courthouse as Crafton. Following a period of building, the borough was incorporated in 1882, with Charles as the first burgess.
Crafton was linked to downtown Pittsburgh by trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
in 1896. The service ended when the Fort Pitt Bridge
Fort Pitt Bridge
The Fort Pitt Bridge is a steel, double decker bowstring arch bridge that spans the Monongahela River near its confluence with the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It carries Interstate 376 between the Fort Pitt Tunnel and Downtown Pittsburgh.-History:The Fort Pitt Bridge opened on...
was built without trolley tracks.
Crafton was rated as being the best place to raise children in Pennsylvania, according to Bloomberg Businessweek's "Best Places to Raise Your Kids 2011".
Geography
Crafton is located at 40°26′2"N 80°4′5"W (40.433869, -80.068146).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
Surrounding communities
- North – IngramIngram, PennsylvaniaIngram is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,330 at the 2010 census.It is located in the Montour School District, which educates the children of Kennedy Township, Robinson Township, Pennsbury Village, Thornburg, and the borough of...
(an Allegheny county boroughBorough (Pennsylvania)In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
) - North east – Crafton HeightsCrafton Heights (Pittsburgh)Crafton Heights is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its name is derived from the neighboring borough, Crafton Borough, and the majority of today's community was annexed to the City of Pittsburgh in 1921...
(a Pittsburgh neighborhood) - East – WestwoodWestwood (Pittsburgh)Westwood is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's West End Region. Annexed by the City of Pittsburgh in three pieces, the eastern third in 1872, then the remaining sectors progressing west in 1921 and 1927, Westwood is and has always been a quiet community inhabited by a large variety of...
(a Pittsburgh neighborhood) - South – OakwoodOakwood (Pittsburgh)Oakwood is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's southwest city area. It has a zip code of 15205, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 .-Demographics:...
and East Carnegie (Pittsburgh neighborhoods) - West –ThornburgThornburg, PennsylvaniaThornburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 455 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Thornburg is located at...
(an Allegheny county boroughBorough (Pennsylvania)In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
) - North west – FairywoodFairywood (Pittsburgh)Fairywood is a neighborhood on Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's west area. It has a zip code of 15205, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 . Fairywood is home to an abandoned city housing project named Broadhead Manor. It borders the city of Pittsburgh...
(a Pittsburgh neighborhood)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,706 people, 3,079 households, and 1,613 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 5,916.0 people per square mile (2,291.3/km²). There were 3,344 housing units at an average density of 2,950.1 per square mile (1,142.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.50% White, 2.74% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 3,080 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $38,323, and the median income for a family was $52,386. Males had a median income of $38,292 versus $24,497 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $21,441. About 3.4% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
Former Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
head coach Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
is a native of Crafton and attended Carlynton High School.