Ridgway is a borough in and the county seat of Elk County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 4,039
History
thumb|Ridgway is named for the Philadelphia shipping merchant, [[Jacob Ridgway.]]
Ridgway was founded by Philadelphian shipping merchant Jacob Ridgway and James Gillis. Jacob Ridgway earned substantial wealth both in Philadelphia and abroad in London. He constantly sent sums of money back to be invested in property. In the early 19th century as part of a larger land purchase, Ridgway acquired that became Elk County. One of Jacob Ridgway's nephews by marriage, James Gillis, convinced Ridgway that the area could become a very lucrative spot for a lumber camp due to the proximity of Elk Creek and the Clarion River, a tributary of the Allegheny River. Coal and natural gas abound in the district. In the past, the industrial interests were manufacturing leather, iron, clay, and lumber products, silk goods, railroad snow plows, dynamos, and machine tools. In 1900, the people living here numbered 3,515; in 1910, 5,408; in 1940, 6,253, and in 2010, 4,078.
Many historic structures are located within the boundaries of the Ridgway Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The O.B. Grant House and Ridgway Armory are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The lumber industry continued to flourish in Ridgway, to the degree that around the start of the 20th century, the town claimed it had more millionaires per capita than any other town in the U.S.
Geography
Ridgway is located in central Elk County at (41.424739, -78.729733). It is surrounded by Ridgway Township.
The borough is in the valley of the Clarion River, where it is joined from the east by Elk Creek. U.S. Route 219 passes through the borough center, leading north to Bradford and south to DuBois.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.07%, is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Ridgway had a population of 4,039. The median age was 43.2 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males age 18 and over.
97.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,775 households in Ridgway, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.0% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,783 households, 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 35.3% of households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 22.8% under the age of 18, 59.9% from 18 to 64, and 17.3% 65 or older. The median age was 43 years.
The median household income was $37,917 and the median family income was $47,969. Males had a median income of $34,629 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $22,415. About 17.5% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.3% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 4,591 people, 1,927 households, and 1,233 families living in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,089 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 98.54% White, 0.17% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52%.