montgomery county today
17
¯
Pottstown
Norristown
Lansdale
Collegeville
Jenkintown
Conshohocken
476
276
76
476
t
u
422
t
u
202
611
100
309
Hatboro
Ambler
Pennsburg
73
663
29
29
73
Less than 3.7% of families below poverty level
3.7% - 7.2% of families below poverty level
More than 7.2% of families below poverty level
Less than 9th Grade,
2.2%
9th to 12th Grade, No
Diploma,
5.2%
High School Diploma,
26.3%
Associate Degree or
Some College,
22.1%
Bachelor's Degree,
25.7%
Graduate/Prof. Degree,
18.5%
Poverty
Relatively high median household incomes can obscure the
reality of the low end of the income spectrum and a greater
percentage of families were living below the poverty level in
2011 than in 1999. The same economic factors that lowered
incomes for many in the county—the Great Recession,
housing market crash, unsteady financial institutions, and
stretched governmental budgets– have resulted in a 59%
expansion of the county’s most vulnerable population.
Poverty is more common in the county’s boroughs and urban
areas, but it can also be found near some of the most
prosperous communities. While Norristown and Pottstown
are well known for accommodating a higher share of the
county’s lowest income families, townships like
Cheltenham, Abington, and Lower Merion also had over 300
families living below poverty in 2010.
Educational Attainment
Education is directly related to income and Montgomery
County has a well-educated population. Over 44% of
residents over the age of 25 have earned a bachelor’s degree
or higher. The county ranks first in the Philadelphia region
with both the number and percentage of residents having
earned a graduate or professional degree. At the other end,
persons without a high school diploma has shrunk from
11.5% in 2000 to only 7.4% in 2010.
Part of this success can be attributed to the availability of
higher education both in the county and in the region. Bryn
Mawr College, Ursinus College, Arcadia University, Temple
University-Ambler, Pennsylvania State-Abington, and the
Montgomery County Community College are a few of the
institutions available in Montgomery County.
FIGURE 17:
Educational Attainment: 2010*
* 2010 figures are actually five year estimates - an average of responses taken between 2006 and 2010.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
FIGURE 16:
Percent of Families Below Poverty Level: 2006-2010
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey
