As of the 2021 census estimates,

The percentage of married families in Bath is 37.7%, cohabitating couples 18.7%, male householders without a partner 15.9%, and female householders without a partner 27.6%. The number of people over the age of 25 with at least a high school diploma is 90.2%. Those with a bachelor's degree or higher is 18.9% and residents with a graduate or professional degree is 5.2%. The unemployment percentage in 2021 was 7%. In 2020, the median income for a household in the borough was $53,250 and the per capita income for the borough was $23,233.

The average house or condo value was $170,900 and the average cost for rent was $1,189. About 14% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line.

The four recreational areas in Bath include the Volunteer Firefighter's Park, Keystone Park, Ciff Cowling Field, and Carl L. Rehrig Park.

  • The Wesselhoeft House was the first homeopathic school of medicine, located on Chestnut Street in 1829.
  • The Daniel Steckel House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Daniel Steckel built this house for his wife, Rebecca, in 1804, and raised 6 children. Steckel was a prominent man in Bath in the 1800s and lived to be 101 years old. The house was featured in Early American Life magazine in October 2011 and is registered with the National Register, the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Places, and the Bath Historic District. It is currently a bed-and-breakfast.
  • Graver Arboretum, owned by Muhlenberg College and located in Bath, has free admission and features native and rare trees and various species of flowers.
  • Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a Catholic church located on Washington Street. After the affiliated Sacred Heart School closed, Kolbe Academy Recovery High School has opened at the location.
  • Malta Hall is a building located at 143 E Main Street Bath, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1855. In 1874, it was Bath Marbleworks, which was owned by Jeremiah Reinhard. It manufactured marble mantels, tombstones, monuments, and brownstone. After the marbleworks left, it became Carpenter Hall, then Bath High School, Scout Hall, Bath Public Library, and more. It is now a private home.

Transportation

thumb|[[Pennsylvania Route 248|PA Route 248 West and PA Route 987 South in Bath]]

As of 2007, there were of public roads in Bath, of which were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and were maintained by the borough.

Numbered highways passing through Bath include Pennsylvania Route 248, Pennsylvania Route 329, Pennsylvania Route 512 and Pennsylvania Route 987. PA 248 follows an east–west alignment through the borough via West Main Street, Chestnut Street and Northampton Street. PA 329 begins at PA 248 and heads southwest along Race Street. PA 512 follows a north–south alignment via Walnut Street. Finally, PA 987 follows a north–south alignment via Race Street, West Main Street and Chestnut Street, including a concurrency with PA 329 and another with PA 248.

Bath was once home to a trolley line that went to Nazareth. There was also the Northampton and Bath railroad, a local line that ran between Bath and Northampton for 8 miles and is now a biking and walking path since it shut down in 1978. One mile of track is still used by local businesses located on Atlas cement grounds.

Education

The borough is served by the Northampton Area School District. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Northampton Area High School in Northampton.

The borough is also home to George Wolf Elementary School, which opened in 1968. It has twenty-three classrooms, a library, music room and a multipurpose room. In 1974, additions were added that included a gymnasium and twelve more classrooms. They also have three Intermediate Unit #20 classrooms. George Wolf Elementary School is named after George Wolf, a local resident and Governor of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1835. He is known as the father of the free public school system in Pennsylvania because of his effort in passing of the Free School Act of 1834. His original Wolf Academy is located approximately one mile from the school.

In 1920, Sacred Heart Catholic School opened on Washington Street. It closed in 2020 in its centennial. As of 2022, Kolbe Academy Recovery High School is now located at the former Sacred Heart School. It is the first Catholic recovery school in the United States.

Media

The Home News is a weekly newspaper focusing on Bath and surrounding communities. It was first published in 1942.

The Borough runs a YouTube channel which gives monthly news updates and coverage of local events.

Notable people

  • Matt Christopher (1917–1997), children's author
  • Arthur Granville Dewalt (1854–1931), U.S. Congressman
  • David Engleman (1835–1913), Pennsylvania State Senator and Representative

References

  • Borough of Bath official website