Population ~6,900 | 32.8 square miles
Washington Township was founded in 1789 — carved from the Loyalhanna Creek wilderness by families who worked the land and expected to be rewarded for it. That tradition hasn’t changed. Washington Township today is a working community of nearly 7,000 residents with a median income above the state average and a veteran population nearly 1.5 times the state rate. These are people who’ve earned what they have and know the difference between real opportunity and empty promises. Natural gas development is the former.
BY THE NUMBERS
POPULATION:
~6,900 — stable, 2020 census count of 6,887
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME:
$79,742 — above both the Westmoreland County median ($74,109) and the PA state average ($77,971)
VETERANS:
9.9% of the population — nearly 1.5x the state rate of 6.4% — a community defined by earned self-reliance
AREA:
32.8 square miles including the Kiskiminetas River watershed corridor
Average commute: 31.1 minutes — most residents drive outside the township for work every day; local job creation reduces that burden directly
The John Walter Farmstead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places — historic preservation and energy development coexist throughout western Pennsylvania
Founded 1789 from Salem Township — originally included present-day Bell Township, Lower Burrell, and Upper Burrell; one of the oldest established communities in the county
Act 13 impact fees may be directed to road and bridge repair, public safety, EMS, water and sewer, and economic development — all direct needs of this township
WHY IT MATTERS HERE
Washington Township residents average a 31-minute commute — most drive to Greensburg, Pittsburgh, or the Kiski Valley for work. Natural gas development creates local employment in construction, operations, and logistics at wages that match or exceed what those commutes deliver.
With nearly one in ten residents having served in the military, Washington Township has a workforce with discipline, mechanical aptitude, and reliability — exactly the profile energy companies recruit. Development here creates jobs for people who already live here.
The Kiskiminetas River runs along the township’s boundary. Permitted wells must comply with PA DEP setback and water quality standards. The river is a protected resource — operators who violate those standards face permit revocation and mandatory remediation.
Landowners in Washington Township hold mineral rights over one of the most productive shale formations in North America. A 100-acre parcel under a productive well can generate lease bonuses and royalties that change a family’s financial trajectory permanently.