Lansdowne is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, located southwest of Center City Philadelphia. It was named for the Marquess of Lansdowne. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 10,620.
Lansdowne grew quickly in the early part of the twentieth century, when a railroad stop was established near the intersection of Lansdowne Avenue and Baltimore Pike. The borough is primarily residential, with a commercial center near the original railroad stop. The borough also contained some light industrial buildings, which have been in decline in recent decades.
The borough is sometimes erroneously spelled "Landsdowne" or confused with Lansdale, in nearby Montgomery County.
Geography
Lansdowne is located in eastern Delaware County at (39.941345, -75.275343). It is bordered to the southeast by Yeadon, to the southwest by Clifton Heights, and to the north, east, west, and south by Upper Darby Township. Drexel Hill, a part of Upper Darby Township, borders Lansdowne to the northwest, and the borough of East Lansdowne is just east of the Lansdowne border.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all land. Darby Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River, forms the southwestern and southern borders of the borough.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 10,620 people, 4,589 households, and 2,667 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,975 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 47.1% White, 44.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.7% some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.
There were 4,589 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were husband–wife families, 15.2% had a woman householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of people living alone, and 10.9% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31, and the average family size was 3.04.
In the borough 21.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% were from 18 to 24, 28.2% were from 25 to 44, 30.0% were from 45 to 64, and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.7 years. For every 100 women there were 86.1 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
For the period 2010–14, the estimated median annual income for a household in the borough was $56,020, and the median income for a family was $74,656. Male full-time workers had a median income of $51,534 versus $50,276 for women. The per capita income for the borough was $31,158. About 10.1% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
William Penn School District serves Lansdowne. Ardmore Avenue Elementary School (K-6) Penn Wood Middle School (7-8) (Darby) Penn Wood High School 9th Grade Academy, Cypress Street Campus, (9) (Yeadon) Penn Wood High School, Green Avenue Campus, (10-12)
Private schools
Lansdowne Friends School is a Quaker elementary school.
Saint Philomena School of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia operated for over 100 years before closing in 2011 due to a decrease in the number of students. In the 2010–2011 school year it had 141 students. It had 88 would-be students for the 2011–2012 school year that did not arrive. The Delco Times stated that had the school remained open, it would have had to reduce enrichment services. There would have been four students in the second grade, and three other classes each would have had fewer than 10 students.
Features
Lansdowne was once a vacation resort for residents of Philadelphia. People traveled by rail and horse to relax in the borough's Victorian homes. Many of the homes have since been turned into multiple-dwelling apartments which, due to zoning law changes, is no longer an option. Lansdowne is trying to preserve the integrity of its stately homes.
It is home to numerous arts and music organizations, including the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra, Celebration Theater, the Lansdowne Folk Club, Jamey's House of Music and the Lansdowne Arts Festival. The Farmers Market runs, rain or shine, on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm, between Memorial Day and Halloween.