More historic than 48% of U.S. towns · #775 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of Economy was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971. Below: maps from 1906 on and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1863.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Economy’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Economy is more historic than 48% of U.S. towns, #775 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Economy’s overall grade.
Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Economy’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1827.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B. The pre-1940 share (±2.9 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Economy’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Economy Township was established in 1827 and named for Economy, the planned village built by the
Harmony Society on the banks of the Ohio River at what is now called Old Economy Village, in the borough of Ambridge. In 1957 residents of Economy Township petitioned for borough status in order to prevent further annexation by surrounding communities. The borough of Economy was established on January 1, 1958.
Passages that mention Economy, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania1888 · page 592Read the page →
Read the text
east of the Ohio river. It is bounded by the Ohio river on the west, Efononiy township on the nortli and east, and Allegheny county on the south. It was formed aljout 1849, or 1850, from Economy township, and belongs Avholly to the Ilarmony Society, whose history is given elsewhere. The two points in the township of importance, because tof their historic interest, are Legionville and Economy, the history of which will be given separately.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Genealogical and personal history of Beaver County, Pennsylvania1914 · page 1098Read the page →
Read the text
fore he attained his seventeenth year he left college, with the date of his graduation but three months distant, and came to the United States, his father having arranged for his welfare with the trustees of the Harmony Society at Economy, Pennsylvania. Arriving in that place he became an employee in the Economy store and postofifice from January 30, 1889, until 1893, in which latter year he became secretary of the board of elders of the Harmony Society, holding this office until the dissolution of the society.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
In 1827, according to Wikidata. Economy’s post office opened in 1863, and the census of 1890 counted 413 people here.
How does Economy rank for history?
Economy is more historic than 48% of U.S. towns, #775 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Economy?
10% of Economy’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.9 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1971.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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