Media, Pennsylvania

Media is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania 12 miles (19 km) west of Philadelphia, in a fertile and picturesque region. Media was incorporated in 1850. The population in 1900 consisted of 3,075 people, whose numbers grew to 3,562 in 1910, and to 5,351 in 1940. The population was 5,533 at the 2000 census.

Media is home to the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades, a men's college. The Delaware County Institute of Science was founded in Media in 1833. The Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, a two-year technical college, and Delaware County Community College, a two-year liberal arts college, are located nearby. Media is known as "Everybody's Hometown" and is the county seat of Delaware CountyTemplate:GR.

History

Media is perhaps best known as the place where the FBI operation COINTELPRO was revealed. In 1971, a group calling itself The Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI raided an FBI office in Media. They later released thousands of documents to major newspapers around the US. These documents confirmed for the first time the existence of an FBI program to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize" dissident groups in the US.

Geography

Media is located at 39°55′8″N 75°23′17″W (39.918761, -75.388127)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.9 km² (0.8 mi²). 1.9 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is land and 1.33% is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 5,533 people, 2,782 households, and 1,112 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,848.4/km² (7,399.0/mi²). There were 2,966 housing units at an average density of 1,526.9/km² (3,966.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 81.02% White, 14.22% African American, 0.14% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.

There were 2,782 households out of which 14.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 60.0% were non-families. 49.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the borough the population was spread out with 13.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $42,703, and the median income for a family was $58,065. Males had a median income of $42,121 versus $31,904 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,188. About 6.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Media is connected to Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, by the 101 trolley and is the only suburban town in the United States to have a trolley run down the middle of its main street. The trolley terminates just after the Delaware County Courthouse. Media also has a stop on the R3 Regional Rail Line.

Points of interest

• John J. Tyler Arboretum

Edgmont Country Club

External links

• Media official website
• Franklin Mint
• Healthy Communities Initiative-Rose Tree Media
• Delaware County Youth Initiative