Lawrence County Demographics

The People of Lawrence County

Population

Workforce

Population

Lawrence County is a very diverse community with a lot to offer. With the median age at 43.6 years of age, nearly 70% in family households, and over 75% of these in owner-occupied housing, we offer your business a mature, stable, and seasoned workforce.

According to the 2010 Census, our county's population was 91,108 and was estimated in 2017 to be 87,069. Though the county is experiencing a generally declining population base due to migration out of the City of New Castle, rural and suburban areas of Lawrence County are seeing growth.

Click here for the latest Census Data Summary for Lawrence County.

Workforce

The workforce available to companies looking to expand or locate in Lawrence County is significant. As of August 2018, the Pennsylvania Center for Workforce Information & Analysis reported that Lawrence County’s workforce size was 39,800. Lawrence County’s labor pool draw area, as calculated by combining Lawrence’s labor force plus neighboring Beaver, Butler, and Mercer Counties in Pennsylvania, and Columbiana, Mahoning, and Trumbull counties in Ohio is 504,400. Lawrence County’s August 2018 unemployment rate of 4.7% (1,900 persons) was slightly higher than the State average of 4.1%. In the last ten years (January 2008 to August 2018) Lawrence County’s unemployment rate has fluctuated from a high of 9.9% in 2009 to a low of 4.6% in 2017 (data are seasonally adjusted).

In 2017, it is estimated that 41.6% of Lawrence County’s residents were between the ages of 18 to 64. The 2016 U.S. Census estimates put our workforce’s median age at 44.6 years old, with 79.9% of residents having a High School diploma and 28.8% having a college bachelor's degree or higher.

Click here for the latest Lawrence County Profile from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

Our Community

Lawrence County is located at the core of North America’s largest concentration of population and business markets. Strategically positioned at the intersection of Interstate 80, a major East/West interstate system, and Interstate 79, a major North/South system, your business will enjoy easy access to such metropolitan epicenters as New York City, Chicago, Toronto and Atlanta. Lawrence County is the ideal location for businesses seeking access to the largest business and consumer markets in North America.

Lawrence County offers a diverse and exciting community made up of the following 26 unique municipalities (click here for Lawrence County municipality map):

Borough of Volant
Borough of Wampum
Hickory Township
Little Beaver Township
Mahoning Township
Neshannock Township
North Beaver Township
Perry Township
Plain Grove Township

Pulaski Township
Scott Township
Shenango Township
Slippery Rock Township
Taylor Township
Union Township
Wilmington Township
Washington Township
Wayne Township

Cost of Living

If you are looking for a location to start, relocate, or expand a business, you’re in the right place. Lawrence County is one of the most affordable markets in the state and U.S. Compared to the rest of the country, the City of New Castle's cost of living is 30% lower than the U.S. and Pennsylvania average according to data collected by Spirling's BestPlace, utilizing statistics from government and respected and well-established private sources. In addition, the cost of housing in New Castle is 79% lower than the national average! The chart below provides a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living costs based on items carefully chosen to reflect the different categories of consumer expenditures.

Interpreting the index: The Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places, both metropolitan and non-metropolitan, equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.

Cost of Living	New Castle	County of Lawrence	PA	United States
Overall	70	79	100	100
Grocery	95	95	100.1	100
Health	86	86	107	100
Housing	21	49	89	100
Median Home Cost	$38,800	$89,200	$165,800	$216,200
Utilities	96	92	98	100
Transportation	85	88	117	100
Miscellaneous	98	97	99	100

Healthcare Opportunities

UPMC Jameson -- UPMC Jameson is a full-service community hospital serving the residents of Lawrence County and its surrounding communities. UPMC Jameson provides inpatient hospital care, surgical services, diagnostics, emergency medicine, senior care, rehabilitation, and a variety of specialized health care services.

Formerly Jameson Health System, the hospital merged with UPMC on May 1, 2016. Since then, UPMC Jameson has been part of a world-class academic medical center that is consistently ranked in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report annual Honor Roll of America’s Best Hospitals.

UPMC Jameson provides a full range of health care services, including inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care, as well as highly specialized diagnostic and treatment procedures. The combination of high-tech medicine and compassionate care touches every one of the thousands of patients who enter UPMC Jameson each year. Their services include:

Bariatric Surgery
Breast Health
Behavior Health
Cancer Treatment
Children’s Advocacy
Diabetes Management
Emergency Services
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology/Endoscopy
General Surgery

Heart & Vascular Institute
Hospice Care
Imaging Services
Infusion Center
Nutritional Services & Wellness
Occupational Health Services
Orthopedic Surgery
Pain Management
Pharmacy Services
Primary Care

Pulmonary, Respiratory & Neurodiagnostic Services
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Rehabilitation Services
Senior Communities
Sleep Medicine
Stroke Care
Travel Medicine
Urology
Wound Care

See More Information on UPMC Jameson

Other UPMC Operations

UPMC Centers for Rehab Services
UPMC Community Health Services

UPMC Jameson Women's Center
UPMC Jameson Cancer Center

UPMC Jameson Place - Personal Care and Skilled Care
UPMC Jameson Diagnostic Centers

See More Information on Ellwood City Medical Center

Educational Opportunities

Higher Education

Lawrence County is proud to be the home of Westminster College (a U.S. News and World Report top ranked Northeast U.S. Regional University), Butler County Community College @ Lawrence Crossings (2017 & 2018 Pennsylvania Community College of the Year winner), and the New Castle School of Trades. Combined, these institutions provide readily available access to skilled labor to area employers. These institutions either offer terminal degrees or serve as feeder stations to other nearby institutions of higher learning, such as:

School	Students	Distance to New Castle
Westminster College	1,250	9
Geneva College	1,670	15
Slippery Rock University	8,850	16
Laurel Technical Institute	170	18
Youngstown State University	12,650	17
Penn State Shenango	460	19
Penn State Beaver	730	22
Kent State University Salem	1,680	27
Kent State University East Liverpool	1,300	29
Thiel College	900	29
Kent State University Trumbull	2,380	32
Robert Morris University	5,200	34
Carlow University	2,260	43
Carnegie Mellon University	13,260	44
Duquesne University	9,350	43
University of Pittsburgh	28,660	43
Penn State New Kensington	690	45

Lawrence County School Districts

Lawrence County’s public educational efforts are lead by eight (8) independent school districts and the comprehensive countywide career and technical center:

Each public body is governed by an elected school board that appoints a Superintendent. At present, Lawrence County's School Districts educate approximately 13,540 students throughout their 3 Pre-K Schools, 13 Elementary Schools, 5 Middle Schools, 10 High Schools, 1 Technical Center, and 5 Private School Programs.

New Castle School of Trades

Housed in a 93,000 square-foot facility in Union Township, the New Castle School of Trades, founded in 1945, is a multipurpose technical and trade institution. The school is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools (ACCSC).

In 1982, the school was approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to award the Associate in Specialized Technology Degree in the Electrical Technology program. The latest Associate in Specialized Technology Degree programs offered at the school are:

Automotive Technology
Machinist Technology
Motorcycle & Power Equipment Technology
Refrigeration & A/C Technology
Building Technology
Industrial Maintenance with Wind & Solar Technology
Diesel & Heavy Equipment Repair Technology

Diploma programs are offered in:

Combination Welding
Commercial Truck Driving
Construction Trades
Industrial Maintenance
Heavy Equipment Operations with Commercial Truck Driving

Click here for more information.

Transportation

Highway

Lawrence County is served by several major state and federal highways, including:

Pennsylvania Routes: 18, 65, 108, 158, 168, 208, 288, 317, 350, 351, 388, 488, 551, 956
US Routes: 19, 224, 422
Interstates: 76, 79, and 376 with unfettered access to both

Ground Distance from New Castle to Nearby MSAs
Youngstown OH	Pittsburgh PA	Cleveland OH	Morgantown WV
19	53	100	122
Fort Wayne IN	Beckley WV	Baltimore MD	Cincinnati OH
285	287	297	306
Louisville KY	Atlantic City NJ	Chicago IL	Charlotte NC
406	415	428	494
Greenville SC	Boston MA	St. Louis MO	Chattanooga TN
587	592	615	664
Hagerstown MD	Harrisburg PA	Detroit MI	Toronto
225	252	253	279
Philadelphia PA	Indianapolis IN	New York City NY	Richmond VA
353	373	388	392
Raleigh NC	Montreal	Madison WI	Nashville TN
562	565	574	580
Portland ME	Savannah GA	Des Moines IA	Memphis TN
691	744	746	788

Water Ports

Port of Pittsburgh
Lawrence County's nearest port service is the Port of Pittsburgh, 55 miles away. The port is located on the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and is the largest tonnage port in Pennsylvania and the nation's third busiest port handling 34 million tons of cargo annually. It ranks as the 21st largest port in the United States and ranked 9th largest in the U.S. when measured in domestic trade.

The Port of Pittsburgh marks the northeast end of the U.S. Inland Waterway System that stretches 9,000 miles through the heart of the nation to the Gulf of Mexico. The port is served by two major railroads and four interstate highways and is managed by the Port of Pittsburgh Commission.

The District for the Port of Pittsburgh covers a 2-county area and over 200 miles of commercially navigable waterways within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A system of 17 locks and dams make the waterways navigable. The Port of Pittsburgh supports more than 200 public and private terminals and service suppliers. The Commission is a one-stop shipping link for port customers who need information about the river system and available services. Click here for more information.

Port Erie
The next nearest water port, 88 miles from the Lawrence County market, is Port Erie, Pennsylvania's only link to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. The commercial and recreational port is positioned along a bay on Lake Erie's southeast coast. Located between New York and Chicago, the port is attractive for commercial shipping operations. Several touring companies operate from the port. Click here for more information.

Air Transportation

New Castle Municipal Airport
This airport is owned and operated by the Lawrence County Airport Authority and located in Union Township, just a few minutes from downtown New Castle. The mission and scope of the airport is county-wide. It offers two runways: one is 2,853 feet and the longest runway is approximately 4,000’, able to accommodate general aviation aircraft up to 65,000 lbs. The New Castle Municipal Airport is located on 350 acres in Union Township with access from Routes 224, 422. and I-376. There are 46 T-hangars, 3 conventional hangars, and tie-down areas housing more than 65 aircraft. The passenger load for New Castle Airport is more 31,000 annually. Click here for more information.

Pittsburgh International Airport
Just a short 45-minute drive to the north is Pittsburgh International Airport with daily, non-stop service to more than 65 domestic and international airports. In May of 2018, the airport moved more than 840,000 passengers and over 13 million pounds of cargo. Click here for more information.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Just an hour (40 miles) from downtown New Castle, the Cleveland Airport is Ohio’s busiest airport, serving more than 9 million passengers annually. Cleveland airport offers daily, non-stop service to more than 53 domestic and international airports. In May of 2018, the airport moved more than 15 million pounds in cargo and nearly 860,000 passengers. Click here for more information.

Akron Canton Airport (CAK)
In one hour and 30 minutes, air travelers can be at the smaller Akron-Canton airport that moves more 1.25 million passengers per year. American, Delta, Spirit and United all untilizing CAK, offering the lowest average airfare in the State of Ohio. Click here for more information.

Airport			Approximate Distance to New Castle			Longest Runway Length


Cleveland (CLE)			103 Miles			11,000'
Pittsburgh (PIT)			43 Miles			11,000'
Akron / Canton (CAK)			86 Miles			8,500’
Youngstown			39 Miles			9,000'
Daily Non Stop Flights FROM and TO
	Atlanta	Charlotte		New York	Chicago		Boston	Philly	Dallas
Cleveland	X	X		X	X		X	X	X
Pittsburgh	X	X		X	X		X	X	X
Akron / Canton	X	X			X			X

Rail Transportation

Lawrence County also has an extensive rail system for your transportation needs. Two Class A rail carriers -- CSX and Norfolk-South -- serve Lawrence County as well one Class B carrier, the Buffalo & Pittsburgh (operated by Genessee & Wyoming). All three are connected to an industrial short line service, the New Castle Industrial Railroad.

New Castle Industrial Railroad (NCIRR) -- Formed in 1991, the New Castle Industrial Railroad is a switching shortline serving industrial sites in and around New Castle, Pennsylvania. The operation utilizes industrial switching trackage. Today, the interchange is with CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Buffalo & Pittsburgh -- a Genessee & Wyoming regional line terminating in New Castle.

CSX Transportation (CSXT) -- The largest rail network in the eastern United States, CSXT is the core business unit of CSX Corporation. CSXT provides rail freight transportation over a network of more than 23,000 route miles in 23 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. Their customers represent some of the state's largest industries, specializing in processed foods, phosphates and fertilizers, forest products and manufactured goods.

Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) -- Norfolk Southern Railway is one of North America's larger Class I railroads and a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Corp. The railroad operates 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. It serves every major container port in the eastern United States and connects with other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern also operates an extensive intermodal network and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.

Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR) -- This 368-mile regional freight railroad interchanges with the Allegheny Valley Railroad, Canadian Pacific Railway, Canadian National, CSX Transportation, Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad, Norfolk Southern, Rochester & Southern Railroad, and Western New York & Pennsylvania Railway. Their customers represent some of the state's largest industries, specializing in processed foods, phosphates and fertilizers, forest products and manufactured goods. Genesee & Wyoming (G&W) owns or leases 120 freight railroads worldwide that are organized in 11 operating regions with 7,700 employees and more than 2,500 customers. G&W’s nine North American regions serve 41 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces and include 113 short line and regional freight railroads with more than 13,000 track-miles.

Local Taxes

Real Estate Taxes

The County of Lawrence County real estate tax millage for 2018 is 7.309. The County has several taxing districts within its borders and each municipality charges an annual real tax and may also tax separately for Fire, Water, Light and/or Recreation. Total local real estate millage ranges from a total of 21.885 mills in Scott Township to over 58 mills in the City of New Castle. For more information about taxes in Lawrence County, click on the link below which will redirect you to a PDF document.

Click here for 2018 Millage chart for Lawrence County municipalities

Sales Tax

Personal Property Tax

Business Privilege and/or Mercantile Tax

Local Earned Income and Local Services Tax