Greene County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,954. Its county seat is Waynesburg. Greene County was created on February 9, 1796, from part of Washington County and named for General Nathanael Greene. The county is part of the Southwest Pennsylvania region of the state. Greene County is part of the Pittsburgh media market. It is in the area of southwestern Pennsylvania that was claimed by Virginia, the District of West Augusta.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 578 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 576 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.4%) is water. It has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Waynesburg range from 28.9 °F in January to 71.9 °F in July. Greene County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America. It is also located within the Laurel Highlands subrange, which consists of low plateaus and river valleys.
Adjacent counties
- Washington County (north)
- Fayette County (east)
- Monongalia County, West Virginia (south)
- Wetzel County, West Virginia (southwest)
- Marshall County, West Virginia (west)
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 38,686 people, 14,724 households, and 9,970 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 people per square mile (26 people/km2). There were 16,678 housing units at an average density of 29 units per square mile (11/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.6 percent White, 3.3 percent Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3 percent Asian, 0.0 percent Pacific Islander, 0.7 percent from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. 1.2 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 14,724 households, out of which 29.3 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5 percent were married couples living together, 10.9 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3 percent were non-families. 27.0 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.9 percent under the age of 18, 9.9 percent from 18 to 24, 25.5 percent from 25 to 44, 29.3 percent from 45 to 64, and 15.3 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females there were 106.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males.
2020 census
Government and politics
Greene County was long a Democratic stronghold, due to the strong unionization of the county's steel mills; between 1932 and 2000, the Democratic presidential candidate won the county in every election except in the Republican landslide of 1972. Due to the decline of the Pittsburgh area's steel industry (similar to other Appalachian counties), and the Democratic Party's shift on cultural issues like environmental safety and firearms, the county has shifted towards the Republican Party, and in 2016 Donald Trump won the county with 68.4% of the vote.
Voter registration
As of February 8, 2025, there are 21,629 registered voters in the county. There are 11,762 registered Republicans, 7,727 registered Democrats, 1,542 voters registered non-affiliated voters, and 598 voters registered to other parties.
Commissioners
Greene County is administered by a three-person board of commissioners, who serve four-year terms. Elections occur in the odd-numbered years that precede U.S. presidential elections, with the most recent election falling in 2023. All three commissioners are chosen in the same election, and voters may vote for no more than two of the candidates. The commissioners are responsible for the management of the fiscal and administrative functions of the county.
Elected county officials
As of the 2021 and 2023 General Elections.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Greene County consists of one Pennsylvania House District. The 50th district covers all of Greene County and parts of Washington County to the north.
Pennsylvania Senate
Greene County is entirely contained within the 46th Senatorial District, which also includes parts of Beaver County and all of Washington County.
United States House of Representatives
Greene County is part of the 14th Congressional District.
United States Senate
Economy
Greene County's development commission has assisted area business since 1998.
The Meadow Ridge office park has served the county since the early 2000s.
Two power plant construction projects are underway in Greene County. Hill Top Energy Center, a natural gas-fired power plant with a generating capacity of 625 megawatts, is scheduled to begin operations in the summer of 2021. A new 1,000-megawatt natural gas power plant on the site of the former Hatfield's Ferry power station was scheduled to begin operations in mid-2022, but the plan fell through.
Education
Colleges and universities
- Waynesburg University
Public school districts
Greene County is divided into five public school districts. There are 15 public schools that serve Greene County, Pennsylvania.
- Carmichaels Area School District
- Central Greene School District
- Jefferson-Morgan School District
- Southeastern Greene School District
- West Greene School District
Some schools within the five above districts include:
- Greene County Career Technology Center - Waynesburg
- East Franklin School - Waynesburg Archived January 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
Private schools
- Open Door Christian School in Waynesburg (grades K-12)
- Greene Valley Christian Academy in Rices Landing (grades K-8)
Libraries
- Eva K Bowlby Public Library in Waynesburg
- Flenniken Public Library in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania
Transportation
Interstate Highways
- I-79
State Highways
- US 19
- PA 18
- PA 21
- PA 88
- PA 188
- PA 218
- PA 221
- PA 231
Airport
Greene County Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) east of the central business district of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
Communities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Greene County:
Boroughs
- Carmichaels
- Clarksville
- Greensboro
- Jefferson
- Rices Landing
- Waynesburg (county seat)
Townships
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Greene County.
† county seat
See also
- Greene Connections: Greene County, Pennsylvania Archives Project
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Greene County, Pennsylvania
References
Further reading
- Martines, Jamie. A Pennsylvania county went from bust to boom times with natural gas. Now, it’s nearly broke. Spotlight PA. March 8, 2021
- White-Nockleby, Caroline; Wahid, Mimi; Boone, Caroline; Delhees, Benjamin. Changes in the contribution of coal to tax revenues in Greene County, PA, 2010-2019 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Environmental Solutions Initiative. March 2021.
- Ohio River Valley Institute. Appalachia's Natural Gas Counties: Contributing more to the U.S. economy and getting less in return. The Natural Gas Fracking Boom and Appalachia's Lost Economic Decade February 12, 2021.
External links
- Official website
