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 sqmi, of which 576 sqmi is land and 2.0 sqmi (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.

Adjacent counties

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 /mi2. There were 16,678 housing units at an average density of 29 /mi2. 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 the environment and guns, 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 5, 2024, there are 21,549 registered voters in the county. There are 11,150 registered Republicans, 8,287 registered Democrats, 1,470 voters registered non-affiliated voters, and 642 voters registered to other parties.

County commissioners

Other County Officials

State representative

State senator

US Representative

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

Public school districts

Greene County is divided into five public school districts. There are 15 public schools that serve Greene County, Pennsylvania. Some schools within the five above districts include:

Private schools

Libraries

Transportation

Interstate Highways

State Highways

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

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