Pond Creek Bridge, Spanning Pond Creek at Bear Lake Road (State Route 2016)
Thornhurst Township’s story
148 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 6 maps from 1922 on.
- 1878Thornhurst Township is established
Thornhurst TownshipPA
A town of 1,014, established in 1878.
7 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0
Population
1,014
2025 Census estimate · +0.5% since 2020
Median home value
$210K
Census ACS
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
45.8
years
Jobs based here
31
A commuter town
Is Thornhurst Township a good place to live?
The best of Thornhurst Township’s subject grades are an A for schools and the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for walkability. Thornhurst Township’s average trip to work is 38 minutes, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). On walkability, just 11 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do worse. The typical home is worth about $210K, 3.2 years of the Scranton metro’s $65K median household income. 69% of the land in Thornhurst Township is conserved, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (8.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Pinchot State Forest, at 8,938 acres with 44.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. On history, just 133 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do worse. Thornhurst Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Thornhurst Township stand out
Where Thornhurst Township beats most towns.
Small town
1,014 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Coolbaugh TownshipBuck TownshipClifton TownshipTobyhanna TownshipSpring Brook TownshipBear Creek TownshipJenkins TownshipThornhurst Township
How Thornhurst Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Thornhurst Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.3 of 20; 1.9% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Cost of livingDOpen →SchoolsBeat 86% of Pennsylvania districts on tests and graduationAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Jobs & income$72K median household income; 31 jobs based hereCOpen →HealthGeisinger-Community Medical Center 13.1 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsAOpen →HistoryEstablished 1878COpen →Civic life3.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 63 attractions →Lake Wallenpaupack and 27 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Thornhurst Township. Close and well known come first.
24 mi LakeLake Wallenpaupack
13 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
13 mi State parkHickory Run State Park
18 mi Ski areaCamelback Mountain Resort37 runs · 804 ft vertical
35 mi State parkRicketts Glen State Park
29 mi National park siteMiddle Delaware National Scenic River4.1M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Wallenpaupack: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Steamtown National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Hickory Run State Park: Mtruch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Camelback Mountain Resort: Calzarette at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Ricketts Glen State Park: en:User:Msitler, Public domain · Middle Delaware National Scenic River: Mike Serfas, Public domain
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Thornhurst Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thornhurst Township, and how to reach them.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAqua Pa Water Co Thornhurst CcNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Thornhurst Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLackawanna County Board of ElectionsLackawanna County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code1842418424 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Thornhurst Township.
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Thornhurst Township
52 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Thornhurst Township’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile.
69.4%conserved
69.4%
conserved · 10,175 of 14,671 acres
52 mi
of trails · 2.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pinchot State Forest | 44.8 mi | 8,938 |
| 2. State Game Lands Number 135 | 2.5 mi | 1,158 |
| 3. Spruce Swamp Natural Area | 0.3 mi | 70 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Thornhurst Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Thornhurst Township for work: only 1% work in town. 11% of Thornhurst Township residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Scranton (17%), Covington Township (8%) and Moosic (5%).
1%work in town
| Thornhurst Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Thornhurst Township1%
Scranton17%
Covington Township8%
Moosic5%
Dunmore4%
15 mi
median commute distance
31
jobs based in Thornhurst Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 1% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Thornhurst Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Thornhurst Township is cooler than in the typical Pennsylvania or U.S. town
The July high in Thornhurst Township is 77°F. Thornhurst Township has cold winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
77°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–33°
Spring34–54°
Summer55–75°
Fall39–57°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
77°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Pennsylvania overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
45.8median age · PA 40.9
| Thornhurst Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.8 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 21% | 18% |
Thornhurst TownshipPennsylvaniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school42%
Some college16%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.4 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 92% are women (PA 50%).
| Thornhurst Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.1% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.4% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.8% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.4% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.4% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.4% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.6% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.1% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Thornhurst Township is less healthy than 55% of U.S. towns
Thornhurst Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Thornhurst Township.
45%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Thornhurst Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
3 better15 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Thornhurst Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82% | 79.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.2% | 7.7% |
Geisinger-Community Medical Center
13.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thornhurst Township
18pages on Thornhurst Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Thornhurst Township
Yeshivath Beth MosheUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Scranton12.8 mi$10,600 tuitionUniversity of ScrantonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Scranton13.6 mi$53,983 tuitionLackawanna CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Scranton14 mi$18,400 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Thornhurst Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Get outside
52 miles of trails in Thornhurst Township
69.4% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
3
Spruce Swamp Natural Area0.3 mi of trails · 70 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Thornhurst Township
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Thornhurst Township is a township in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,012 at the 2020 census. The area is a part of the Pocono Mountains region. The township was established in 1878 as Lehigh Township, so named for the Lehigh River. In 1996, to eliminate confusion between this and the township of the same name in Wayne County, the township changed its name to Thornhurst, the name of a community within the southern portion of the township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 23 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,903 ft
- Area code
- 570
Questions about Thornhurst Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Thornhurst Township, PA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.