Sharon is a city located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. Sharon was settled in 1795, incorporated as a borough on October 6, 1841, and became a city on December 17, 1918.
Thanks to its large coal deposits, Sharon was once a major industrial center, with rolling mills, boiler and machine shops, furnaces, flour mills, ordnance works, and manufactories of explosives, nails, horse collars, spokes, chains, stoves, and lumber products. In 1900, the population was 8,916 persons; in 1910, 15,270 persons; in 1920, 21,747 persons; and 25,622 people lived in Sharon in 1940. Today there is still some steel and metalworking as well as other manufacturing, but like most of America the city has been the victim of deindustrialization; despite the reclamation of several industrial sites and investments from manufacturing businesses, most of the city's job growth today is in the service sector. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 16,328.
A quirky small city in Western Pennsylvania, Sharon has worked to shed its "Rust Belt" image, having earned recognition and a small amount of tourist dollars through the somewhat dubious promotion of a number of "world's largest"s, including the "world's largest" shoe store (Reyers), candy store (Daffin's), and off-price women's fashion store (The Winner), as well as the original Quaker Steak and Lube, a bar specializing in chicken wings, and Tara (actually located in nearby Clark), an American Civil War-style plantation not located in the Deep South. Much of this is the brainchild of local entrepreneur James E. Winner Jr., who also made Sharon famous through his winning of a law suit which gave him title to the invention of The Club, a very popular auto-theft prevention device.
Sharon is also the home of Sharon Regional Health System, a massive full-service community hospital uncommonly found in communities of its size; the Vocal Group Hall of Fame; and the Shenango Campus of Pennsylvania State University, which is the only urban campus in the Penn State system.
Sharon is located at 41°13'48" North, 80°29'56" West (41.230106, -80.498960).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.7 km2 (3.8 mi2). 9.7 km2 (3.8 mi2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water. However, the Shenango River runs through the city and provides drinking water to Sharon and several surrounding communities.
As of the census of 2000, there are 16,328 people, 6,791 households, and 4,190 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,676.7/km2 (4,342.6/mi2). There are 7,388 housing units at an average density of 758.6/km2 (1,964.9/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 86.44% White, 10.85% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races. 0.88% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 6,791 households out of which 28.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% are married couples living together, 16.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% are non-families. 33.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.33 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,945, and the median income for a family is $34,581. Males have a median income of $30,072 versus $20,988 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,913. 17.6% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Source:
SharonPennsylvania.com
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