Westmoreland County Population (Pittsburgh, Lebanon, Latrobe: house, job market, neighborhoods)

[runpens1]

https://triblive.com/local/westmorel...-update-shows/

I wanted to post this article I found on the declining population estimates of Westmoreland County. I wonder if this is true that Manor is the only place in the whole county growing. I believe the county as a whole could be losing about this much population, but maybe the estimates could be in the wrong places. It is a big county and I wonder if anyone thinks any of the townships will grow and which ones? If the estimates are accurate, the population will fall to around 347,000 in 2020, a decrease of a little over 5% from 2010.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by runpens1

https://triblive.com/local/westmorel...-update-shows/

I wanted to post this article I found on the declining population estimates of Westmoreland County. I wonder if this is true that Manor is the only place in the whole county growing. I believe the county as a whole could be losing about this much population, but maybe the estimates could be in the wrong places. It is a big county and I wonder if anyone thinks any of the townships will grow and which ones? If the estimates are accurate, the population will fall to around 347,000 in 2020, a decrease of a little over 5% from 2010.

I really like Westmoreland County, especially the Donegal and Ligonier areas. The Laurel Highlands is a spectacular region. It almost seems like a population decline of pretty large proportions in the eastern Allegheny county suburbs into Westmoreland County. I think when Westinghouse moved to Cranberry that hurt Westmoreland as well as the decline of Monreoville. It used to be a pretty nice area out in Monroeville. Not it is starting to look like route 51 lite out of Pittsburgh with the abandoned commercial buildings and retail. I also think Westmoreland County itself hasn’t been able to attract new business and manufacturing. There certainly has been a decline in that sector in the county.

It’s hard to say if anywhere else will grow. Maybe along the 76 and 70 corridors due to the gas drilling. If they could attract manufacturing that could change. It is a very old population and I think that is a deterrent. Also it just doesn’t seem to be that attractive to out of towners. Then again the job market east outside of the city doesn’t appear to be very good regardless if you are In Westmoreland or Allegheny.

New Growth and jobs are along the I-79 corridor from cranberry to canonsburg and west to the airport, beaver and Ohio valleys. Basically the western half of the Pittsburgh metro to the northern suburbs is where the money and new jobs are. I think even places like Mt. Lebanon are in decline of residents. People just aren’t gonna choose Westmoreland If the jobs are in cranberry, near the airport or in Canonsburg. One visitor wants to live in the city and commute 36 miles one way to beaver. That is the exception but not the Norm. Plus that would get old very quick. I told them to visit here first before deciding. We aren’t like other metros with our accessibility and roads you know...

In the city of Pittsburgh the older residents are leaving and dying off. There is a small growing tech job bubble in the east end, but it isn’t enough to extend past 2-3 city neighborhoods. And I am hesitant to believe it’s impact is as huge as some folks think it will be on population numbers.

Anyways I just don’t see much going on for Westmoreland in the 2020s. I think it has potential but this region can be so siloed in and disconnected from areas a few miles away. It’s gonna take great minds and people seeing the big picture to turn Westmoreland around and it needs to be a group effort with Allegheny County. The eastern part of their house is a declining mess.

Regardless there are still more people living in Westmoreland County than the City of Pittsburgh itself.

[anthony_c55]

For overall migration last year, the county lost under a 100 people. Not good, but not nearly as bad as previous years.


Worse though, is the significant amount of natural decline.


There were roughly a thousand more deaths than births in the county last year.


For the county (like much of the region) to gain population, it has to have in-migration to offset natural decline.


Many areas grow due to births and or foreign in-migration that also offsets domestic losses.

[USC1986]

As someone who was born & raised in Westmoreland County, my sense is there will be a slow but steady decline in population over the upcoming years, which will likely continue ad infinitum.
The industries that were still going strong when I was young, such as the many coal mines, and manufacturing & steel plants in places like Jeanette and Latrobe are long gone. Even the old Chrysler/Sony plant in New Stanton is now empty, I believe.
Of course, the county still has many rural areas, with sparse populations other than farmers, and I don't see that changing unless some acreage is sold to home developers.
It does seem that the western portion of the county has incurred some growth, given it's relative proximity to Pittsburgh, and lower taxes than Allegheny County, but I don't see the eastern or southern portions growing at all; if I'm incorrect, I would love to hear it.
It was a great place to grow up, and I still love places like Ligonier, but it's heyday has likely passed, as all eventually do.
Still a fine place to live, IMHO.

[runpens1]

Originally Posted by USC1986

As someone who was born & raised in Westmoreland County, my sense is there will be a slow but steady decline in population over the upcoming years, which will likely continue ad infinitum.
The industries that were still going strong when I was young, such as the many coal mines, and manufacturing & steel plants in places like Jeanette and Latrobe are long gone. Even the old Chrysler/Sony plant in New Stanton is now empty, I believe.
Of course, the county still has many rural areas, with sparse populations other than farmers, and I don't see that changing unless some acreage is sold to home developers.
It does seem that the western portion of the county has incurred some growth, given it's relative proximity to Pittsburgh, and lower taxes than Allegheny County, but I don't see the eastern or southern portions growing at all; if I'm incorrect, I would love to hear it.
It was a great place to grow up, and I still love places like Ligonier, but it's heyday has likely passed, as all eventually do.
Still a fine place to live, IMHO.

I would agree the eastern portion of the county in the Laurel Highlands is more of a vacation destination and therefore not many jobs to actually move younger people to the area. I also don't see the northern portion growing east of Allegheny Township or the southern portion east of Rostraver township also. Even the townships in the central portion, the heart of the county, Hempfield and Unity seem to be slowing down due to jobs moving out of the area.

[Jay_F]

Originally Posted by USC1986

Even the old Chrysler/Sony plant in New Stanton is now empty, I believe

I remember reading this some time back:

Siemens to open in Westmoreland’s former Sony plant:

https://archive.triblive.com/local/w...mer-sony-plant

Now I see this:

RIDC takes over 3,000,000 square-foot former Volkswagen-turned-Sony TV plant:

https://ridc.org/properties/browse-p...-westmoreland/

So is, or has Siemens still going to use this space?

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by runpens1

https://triblive.com/local/westmorel...-update-shows/

I wanted to post this article I found on the declining population estimates of Westmoreland County. I wonder if this is true that Manor is the only place in the whole county growing. I believe the county as a whole could be losing about this much population, but maybe the estimates could be in the wrong places. It is a big county and I wonder if anyone thinks any of the townships will grow and which ones? If the estimates are accurate, the population will fall to around 347,000 in 2020, a decrease of a little over 5% from 2010.

There is no one reason for the decline in population in Westmoreland County other than a loss of manufacturing and related business. The loss of Westinghouse was probably the biggest. Some of those jobs still exist with Siemens but the majority are gone. Westmoreland County had many precision tooling companies that did subcontract work on Westinghouse defense contracts. A few are still doing work for Siemens.



Glass and steel jobs also disappeared even though many of those jobs were not in Westmoreland County but the people lived there. Many people from Westmoreland County traveled to the steel mills in Allegheny County and to Anchor Hocking Glass in Fayette County. Most of those jobs are gone.

What has hurt Westmoreland County (and eastern Allegheny County) is the difficulty in traveling to the Pittsburgh Airport. Any company would make the logical decision to location along I-376 W or I-79.

Originally Posted by pittsburghaccuweather

I really like Westmoreland County, especially the Donegal and Ligonier areas. The Laurel Highlands is a spectacular region. It almost seems like a population decline of pretty large proportions in the eastern Allegheny county suburbs into Westmoreland County. I think when Westinghouse moved to Cranberry that hurt Westmoreland as well as the decline of Monreoville. It used to be a pretty nice area out in Monroeville. Not it is starting to look like route 51 lite out of Pittsburgh with the abandoned commercial buildings and retail. I also think Westmoreland County itself hasn’t been able to attract new business and manufacturing. There certainly has been a decline in that sector in the county.

It’s hard to say if anywhere else will grow. Maybe along the 76 and 70 corridors due to the gas drilling. If they could attract manufacturing that could change. It is a very old population and I think that is a deterrent. Also it just doesn’t seem to be that attractive to out of towners. Then again the job market east outside of the city doesn’t appear to be very good regardless if you are In Westmoreland or Allegheny.

New Growth and jobs are along the I-79 corridor from cranberry to canonsburg and west to the airport, beaver and Ohio valleys. Basically the western half of the Pittsburgh metro to the northern suburbs is where the money and new jobs are. I think even places like Mt. Lebanon are in decline of residents. People just aren’t gonna choose Westmoreland If the jobs are in cranberry, near the airport or in Canonsburg. One visitor wants to live in the city and commute 36 miles one way to beaver. That is the exception but not the Norm. Plus that would get old very quick. I told them to visit here first before deciding. We aren’t like other metros with our accessibility and roads you know...

In the city of Pittsburgh the older residents are leaving and dying off. There is a small growing tech job bubble in the east end, but it isn’t enough to extend past 2-3 city neighborhoods. And I am hesitant to believe it’s impact is as huge as some folks think it will be on population numbers.

Anyways I just don’t see much going on for Westmoreland in the 2020s. I think it has potential but this region can be so siloed in and disconnected from areas a few miles away. It’s gonna take great minds and people seeing the big picture to turn Westmoreland around and it needs to be a group effort with Allegheny County. The eastern part of their house is a declining mess.

Regardless there are still more people living in Westmoreland County than the City of Pittsburgh itself.

I think comparing Monroeville and Route 51 is a stretch. Route 51 from the Fort Pitt Tunnel to Elizabeth has been the ugliest stretch of highway in Western PA for at least 50 years. Where are the abandoned commercial buildings and retail in Monroeville?

[runpens1]

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

There is no one reason for the decline in population in Westmoreland County other than a loss of manufacturing and related business. The loss of Westinghouse was probably the biggest. Some of those jobs still exist with Siemens but the majority are gone. Westmoreland County had many precision tooling companies that did subcontract work on Westinghouse defense contracts. A few are still doing work for Siemens.



Glass and steel jobs also disappeared even though many of those jobs were not in Westmoreland County but the people lived there. Many people from Westmoreland County traveled to the steel mills in Allegheny County and to Anchor Hocking Glass in Fayette County. Most of those jobs are gone.

What has hurt Westmoreland County (and eastern Allegheny County) is the difficulty in traveling to the Pittsburgh Airport. Any company would make the logical decision to location along I-376 W or I-79.





I think comparing Monroeville and Route 51 is a stretch. Route 51 from the Fort Pitt Tunnel to Elizabeth has been the ugliest stretch of highway in Western PA for at least 50 years. Where are the abandoned commercial buildings and retail in Monroeville?

Yeah Route 51 is still even worse than Cranberry.

[Moby Hick]

There's an airport in Westmoreland County. It used to have connections to PIT. I assume that is business picked up out there, it would again.

[runpens1]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

There's an airport in Westmoreland County. It used to have connections to PIT. I assume that is business picked up out there, it would again.

Yeah I think the Arnold Palmer airport is probably one of main employers for central Westmoreland county. However, I think they only have flights to Myrtle Beach and Flordia, more vacation rather than business destinations. Therefore, it may not be helping the economy quite as much as Pittsburgh International Airport.