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BUCKS COUNTY Founded in 1682 by William Penn, Bucks County has had a long and distinguished history. Penn named the county after Buckinghamshire, the Penn family home in England. The County Seat was at Bristol from 1705 to 1726 when it was moved ten miles north, to Newtown, which served as the county seat for 87 years. In 1752 the county, which originally extended to the New York Colony line, was reduced to its present boundaries. As settlement crept northward, agitation began for changing the county seat to a more central location. In 1810, Governor Simon Snyder signed an Act appointing a commission to select a new site. The hilltop tract they chose has continued to serve as the seat of Bucks County for almost 200 years. Since 1812, three successive courthouses have occupied the site. Currently, Bucks County is comprised of roughly 608 square miles of land and 15.8 square miles of water. There are approximately 610,000 people within 23 boroughs and 31 townships. Three commissioners, who are elected at-large every four years and represent both major political parties, govern the county. Other elected officials include Clerk of Courts, Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Jury Commissioners, Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, Sheriff and Treasurer. Median household income Local $59,727 National $41,994 Source: 2000 census, U.S. Census Bureau For more census details and comparisons, see our Bucks County demographic reports In 2002, the per capita personal income in Bucks County was $39,717. This was an increase of 25.6% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 129% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906. County seat: Doylestown COLLEGES · Bucks County Community College · Delaware Valley College · Philadelphia Biblical University - Langhorne
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