Schuylkill County Real Estate: August 2007

There are almost 800 homes for sale in Schuylkill County as of today (actual number: 796). 

They range in price from $5,900 to $1,695,000 (that's in Southern Schuylkill for sure!).

Average: $160,990. 

As for days on market, it's around 120 days right now.

Another 240 homes are "pending" ... or in the process of moving to SOLD.

And to date, August 30, we've sold 865 properties here in Schuylkill County.

Average sale price: $97,022

Schuylkill County has a population of about 140,000, with about 32,000 residents over the age of 62.

There are a total of just over 60,000 households.

Median household income is $35,610. Yes, that's household income, not per worker.

Only 6.5% of all households make a six-figure income.

Only 16% bring in over $75,000 total household income.

10% of all families live below the poverty level.

17% of our adults over the age of 25 have no high school diploma.

When it comes to our housing, over half of our housing units were built before 1939.

The median house value is just under $73,000 county-wide, and our average sale price is about $90,000.

As far as our ancestry, the largest ethnic heritages:

  German

  Irish

  Polish

  Dutch

  Italian

  Slovak

  Welsh

 (Source of data: 2005 US Census)

Located in eastcentral Pennsylvania, Schuylkill County is only a short drive from many major cities:

30 minutes north of Reading

1 hour--almost equidistant between Harrisburg in the west and Allentown in the east

2 hours northwest of Philadelphia

2.5 hours from New York City

2.5 hours to Baltimore/Washington DC

In fact, Schuylkill County is within 300 miles of one-third of the nation's population. The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce says we're at "the hub of a wheel: the center from which you can venture forth for a multitude of activities. World class shopping, cultural events, restaurants, tourist attractions and recreational activities are all within a few hours' drive from any point in Schuylkill County.

You can go to historic Philadelphia in the Southeast and shop, visit the tourist attractions or attend a sporting event. There is always some type of event going on with Philadelphia being the home of the Eagles (football), Phillies (baseball), 76ers (basketball) and Flyers (hockey). You can spend the day enjoying the city and still be home, safe and snug in your own bed, at the end of the day.

Southwest will land you in Hershey (the sweetest place on earth and home of Hershey Park), the Amish country of Lancaster as well as Harrisburg - our state capital.

Southeast will find you at the malls of the Allentown area, as well as Dorney Park. Just beyond Allentown is Historic Bethlehem. Head to the North and visit the many attractions of the Greater Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area.

One of the best amusement parks in America is only a short trip. Knoebel's Amusement Park is consistently rated as one of the best family amusement parks in America, and famous for their hometown attractions and world class wooden roller coasters, with the Phoenix consistently making the top 10 list of wooden roller coasters.

Just a short drive south and you will be in Hamburg - home of Cabela's - or venture a little further and enjoy the cultural events, food, shopping malls and outlets of the Reading area.

Schuylkill County affords you the opportunity to enjoy the low crime rate and laid back pace of rural living along with the opportunity to enjoy some of the better aspects of metropolitan life.

We ARE in the middle of everywhere - and we like it here. You will too!" www.SchuylkillChamber.com

So geographically, we're at the center of it all. Officially, we're classified as a RURAL county in Pennsylvania, which means you get the best of both worlds: the benefits of a slower, less populated rural area and yet in close proximity to all the benefits that big cities have to offer. We may not have the huge chain stores and shopping complexes that you love to shop at--but in 30 to 60 minutes you can have it all, from discount outlets to big box retailers. And the benefit is that the sprawling acres of macadam are NOT right here in your own back yard.