Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania

Sugar Notch colliery

Sugar Notch was incorporated as a borough on April 3, 1867; it was named for the sugar maple trees surrounding the community. It was originally part of Hanover Township. The first burgess was Charles Parrish and the first council was composed of David Caird, Henry B. Plumb, Samuel Roberts, Adam Shiedel, and George Cyphers.[4]

In 1869, the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad was constructed near the borough; it was used to transport coal. Sugar Notch was a popular coal mining community in the 1800s and 1900s. The current municipal building was built in 1921.[5]

Following World War II — in 1946 — the Roosevelt Memorial was dedicated within the borough; Eleanor Roosevelt attended the ceremony.[5]

Sugar Notch is located at 41°11′46″N 75°55′50″W (41.196149, -75.930448).[6]

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.

At the 2000 census there were 1,023 people in 417 households, including 288 families, in the borough. The population density was 1,002.8 people per square mile (387.2/km²). There were 459 housing units at an average density of 449.9 per square mile (173.7/km²).[8] The racial makeup of the borough was 99.41% White, 0.10% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.

There were 417 households, 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families.

27.3% of households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 19.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median household income was $33,125 and the median family income was $38,906. Males had a median income of $30,430 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,902. About 8.0% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

The borough’s population peaked in 1930 (with 2,768 residents). The population of Sugar Notch has been in constant decline since that decade. The population had fallen to 964 by 2017.