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 Release Information CB12-R.70 **Contact:**  Public Information Office
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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  THURSDAY, DEC. 6, 2012 American Community Survey Details Characteristics Within Philadelphia Metro Area The U.S. Census Bureau  today released estimates from the American Community Survey, the most detailed  portrait of America's towns and neighborhoods — even for the smallest communities  within a metro area — for the combined years from 2007 to 2011. The American  Community Survey permits communities to observe the composition of their  population, from preschool to the oldest ages and milestones in between,  including college, work and marriage. Wide variation exists  in the languages spoken at home, educational attainment, the share of persons  working in manufacturing, marital status and living arrangements, and many  other measures across the Philadelphia  metropolitan area. "The American  Community Survey provides the only statistics on school enrollment,  jobs, housing and many other measures for all towns and neighborhoods," said  Thomas Mesenbourg, the Census Bureau's acting director. "The results are used  by everyone from retailers, homebuilders and police departments, to town and  city planners. The numbers permit them to examine demographic patterns within  metropolitan areas." Selected highlights from  the 2007-2011 estimates show the wide variation in conditions within the Philadelphia metro area: About 6.9  percent of the enrolled population 3 and older in the Philadelphia  metropolitan area were enrolled in preschool or nursery school. In Somerdale, N.J., 16.5  percent were enrolled, among the highest in the area. Among towns at the other  end of the spectrum was Woodlyn, Pa.,  where 1.9 percent were enrolled.
  In  Kennett Square, Pa., 48.3 percent of people 5 and older spoke a  language other than English at home, among the highest in the metro area.  Among the lowest was Perkasie, Pa., at 2.4 percent. For the area as a whole, the  corresponding rate was 14.5 percent.

  In  Swarthmore, Pa., 79.7 percent of people 25 and older had at least a bachelor's  degree, among the highest in the metro area. Among the lowest was Penns Grove, N.J., at 6.5 percent. For the metro area as a whole, 32.6 percent had a bachelor's degree.

  In Lansdale, Pa.,  21.2 percent of the civilian employed  population 16 and older worked in the manufacturing industry, among the highest  in the area. Among the places at the opposite end of the spectrum was Swarthmore, Pa., where 3.6 percent did so. Area-wide, the corresponding rate was 9.8 percent.

  The percentage of males 15 and older who were  married (not including those who were  separated) was 72.5  percent in North Star, Del., and the  corresponding percentage for females was 73.1  percent in North Star. Both were among  the highest in the metro area. The percentages  were not significantly different from one another. In West Chester, Pa., 25.7 percent of males were married and 20.7 percent of females were married. Both were among the lowest in  the metro area.

  In Doylestown, Pa., 21.2 percent of  households had a person 65 and older who lived alone, among the highest in  the metro area. In Glasgow, Del., the  corresponding percentage was 2.1 percent,  among the lowest. Area-wide, the corresponding rate was 10.3 percent. More information about  the social, economic and housing characteristics of cities and towns in the Philadelphia area, as well as information on  other geographies, can be found on the Census Bureau's *American  FactFinder* website. The American Community  Survey five-year estimates are available for all states, counties, places,  congressional districts, census tracts and block groups. Today's release marks  the first time since the 2000 Census that statistics for ZIP Code tabulation  areas — a close approximation of the U.S. Postal Service's ZIP Code areas — have  been released on such a wide range of topics.
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