Page 35 - Guide to Greater Philadelphia

biotechnology. In addition, government and education are major employers.
Among other highlights of Bucks County are:
• NewHope,ascenictownalongtheDelaware River, named one of America’s favorite towns by Travel and Leisure.
• Morrisville,anotherDelawareRivertown,is the most populous borough, with more than 10,000 residents.
• WashingtonCrossing,avillagenearwhere George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 to defeat the Hessians in Trenton, NJ, and turn the tide of the Revolutionary War. The village is the site of Washington Crossing Historical Park, which is dedicated to this event.
• Doylestown,theCountySeat,islocated27 miles north of Philadelphia and 80 miles south of New York City. It’s home to many restaurants
and museums – and to professionals who work in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Chester County: One of three original counties in the Penn Colony, Chester County is known for its combi- nationofbustlingboroughs,preservedopenspace,con- centrated business parks and sprawling farmland. These factors have helped Chester County become #4 on the list of“TenBestCountiesintheU.S.”alongwithadditional top rankings on both the state and national levels.
Chester County, the wealthiest in Pennsylvania and #12intheU.S.,boastsamedianhouseholdincomeof more than $85,000. The county is among the 1.5% of counties in the nation to earn a AAA bond rating from all three reporting agencies. Chester County’s high schools are consistently ranked among the best in the state, and the county is the most educated in Pennsylvania, with 49.3% of residents holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
With 27% of the county’s land dedicated as open space and with more than 280 miles of surfaced trails,
it is easy to see why Chester County’s active residents help make it the healthiest county in the state. Factors contributing to Chester County being ranked fourth-happiest in the nation include world-renowned LongwoodGardens(votedthe“BestPublicGarden” in the U.S.); West Chester (the county seat) and Phoenixville ranking among the “Top 10 Most Exciting PlacesinPennsylvania”;andfourofthetopfive Philadelphia suburbs in which to raise a family being located here.
Unemploymentisbelowstateandnationalaver- ages — at about 3.4% in early 2017 — and job growth of 30% is expected by 2045. Although residents have easy access to Philadelphia via 12 train stations or by car, roughly 65% of Chester County’s workers commute within the county.
The county’s diverse industry base has many strong sectors,includingagriculture,education,energy, financial services, healthcare, life sciences, manufac- turing, technology and tourism. The county’s diversity is highlighted by being recognized as both the “Top Tech
Clockwise from top right: Bryn Mawr College; Wawa headquarters; shops in Peddler’s Village; Longwood Gardens; kayaking at Silver Lake Nature Center in Bucks County; downtown Doylestown; a Civil War reenactment in Bucks County.
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