Coopersburg, Pennsylvania

Coopersburg
Borough
Official name: Borough of Coopersburg
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Lehigh
Elevation	545 ft (166.1 m)
Coordinates	40°30′37″N 75°23′24″W
Area	0.9 sq mi (2 km2)
- land	0.9 sq mi (2 km2)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Population	2,582 (2000)
Density	2,780.7 / sq mi (1,074 / km2)
Mayor	Timothy Paashaus
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code	610 Exchange: 282
Location of Coopersburg in Lehigh County
Location of Coopersburg in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Website: www.coopersburgborough.org

Coopersburg is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.

The population of Coopersburg was 2,386 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Coopersburg is located at 40°30′37″N 75°23′24″W (40.510262, -75.389901).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.

The borough is surrounded by Upper Saucon Township

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,386 people residing in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 95.7% White, 0.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,582 people, 983 households, and 671 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,780.7 people per square mile (1,072.0/km²). There were 1,050 housing units at an average density of 1,130.8 per square mile (435.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.01% White, 0.70% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.78% of the population.

There were 983 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $43,603, and the median income for a family was $51,935. Males had a median income of $36,938 versus $29,545 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,689. About 2.8% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

History

Coopersburg was settled in about 1730 and was called Freyburg, named after Joseph Frey a local tavern owner and judge, in its early years. By the time the town was incorporated, it had been renamed Coopersburg, after Judge Peter Cooper. The town was once the site of famous cattle sales at the estate of Tilghman S. Cooper.

Education

Along with Upper Saucon and Lower Milford Townships, Coopersburg is served by the Southern Lehigh School District. Southern Lehigh High School serves grades 9-12.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from the Lehigh Valley

Coopersburg is home to several notable people who live, or have lived there, including:

• Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles, and member of Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• John Grogan, author of Marley and Me.
• John Myung, bassist and founding member of Dream Theater.
• Mike Portnoy, founding member and former drummer for Dream Theater.
• Donald L. Ritter, former Member of Congress.
• Jimmie Schaffer, former professional baseball player, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals.
• Justin Simmons, Member of Pennsylvania State of Representatives
• Elizabeth Price, gymnast, named alternate to the 2012 USA Olympic Gymnastic Team

External links

• Coopersburg borough website