Franklin Park was originally part of Western Pennsylvania's Depreciation Lands, but in 1823 residents petitioned to secede from Ohio Township and a new township was formed. In August of 1823, the township included land from what is today Franklin Park, Bradford Woods, and Marshall Township. Marshall Township was founded forty years later, while Bradford Woods seceded from Marshall in 1915.
Originally, Franklin Township had no towns, but the area's scattered businesses and residencies (which consisted of farms, schools, country stores and churches) enjoyed a thriving oil and gas industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Subdivisions came after World War II and in August 1961 it finally became a borough.[4]
As of the 2000 census,[7] there were 11,364 people, 3,866 households, and 3,282 families residing in the borough. The population density was 836.5 inhabitants per square mile (323.0/km2). There were 3,973 housing units at an average density of 292.5 per square mile (112.9/km2).
There were 3,866 households, out of which 45.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.0% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.1% were non-families. 13.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
70% of adult residents had a bachelor's degree.[9] The median income for a household in the borough was $121,661.[10] The median income for a family was $94,521. Males had a median income of $77,517 versus $40,828 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,924. About 2.3% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Franklin Park is governed by an elected six-member council, mayor, and a hired manager. Each of the borough's three wards elects two members to the council. The council elects a President, vice-president, and Second Vice-president.
Each year, Council appoints a local high school student to serve as the Junior Councilperson.
^Stebbins, Samuel; Suneson, Grant (January 2, 2019). "Best City to Live in Every State". 24/7 Wall St. 24/7 Wall St., LLC. Retrieved May 21, 2019. A whopping 70% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree, one of the higher college attainment rates among U.S. cities.
^Stebbins, Samuel; Suneson, Grant (January 2, 2019). "Best City to Live in Every State". 24/7 Wall St. 24/7 Wall St., LLC. Retrieved May 21, 2019. In Franklin Park, the median household income of $121,661 a year is one of the highest in the country.
