Half of Hanover Township’s homes were built after 1991
More historic than 11% of U.S. towns · #1,032 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of Hanover Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hanover Township is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #1,032 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hanover Township’s overall grade.
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)#1,032 of 1,035
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 Hanover Township’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.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.1 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. 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 Hanover Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hanover Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1894Allentown sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hanover Township.
Places that used to be
Old corners
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Hanover Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Hanover Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Hanover Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population of Hanover Township was 11,785 at the 2020 census. Hanover Township is 7.7 miles (12.4 km) northeast of Allentown, 67.4 miles (108.5 km) north of Philadelphia, and 86.4 miles (139.0 km) west of New York City. Hanover Township is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which has a population of 861,899 and is the 68th-most populated metropolitan area in the U.S. as of the 2020 census.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 10,866 to 11,783 (+8%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
Hanover Township, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1860s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Hanover Township is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #1,032 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 Hanover Township?
2% of Hanover Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.1 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1991.
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), the Library of Congress (4), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1863
1863
1863
1863
2015
2014
