What data are available for each type of geographic boundary?
Most state and federal agencies release their data for the state and counties. Some also provide data for municipalities and CBSAs. Education agencies provide school-district-level data. The Census Bureau is the primary, and often sole, source of data at the tract, block group, block, congressional district, or zip code level. State legislative district data usually must be computed. Note: For a more detailed fact sheet on geographic boundaries, visit www.ruralpa.org/fact_sheets.html, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org. Pennsylvania’s Counties, Municipalities and School Districts There are many ways to divide the state into smaller geographic entities. For example, Pennsylvania has 67 counties, 2,565 municipalities, and 501 school districts, but this was not always the case. Our counties were incorporated over a period of about 200 years between 1682 (Philadelphia, Bucks, and Chester) and 1878 (Lackawanna) as more land was settled and cou
