What is the difference between a First Class Township and a Second Class Township?
In terms of Pennsylvania law, the “class” of a municipality depends not on money, status, or prestige, but on population. To become a first class township, townships of the second class must have a population density of 300 people per square mile and voters must approve the change of classification in a referendum. There are many townships like Upper Saucon that meet the density requirement but remain second class. The 1,457 townships of the second class are the most popular form of government in the Commonwealth, representing more Pennsylvanians than any other form of government. Click here to learn more about the structure of Pennsylvania local government.
