Cowansville, PA

Cowansville is a small town located in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,812 at the 2010 census. Cowansville is located at 40°5′4″N 76°48′2″W / 40.096°N 76.783°W / 40.096; -76.783 (40.09744, -76.78333).

The area that Cowansville occupies was first settled in the early 18th century by Dutch and German farmers who cleared the land and built homes on it. The town's name is derived from John Cowan, one of the early settlers who owned a large tract of land in the area. In 1793, Cowansville became part of Schuylkill County when it was formed from Northumberland County and portions of Montgomery and Berks counties.

The earliest businesses in Cowansville were taverns and general stores which served the needs of the local residents and travelers on Route 209 which ran through town at that time. The first post office opened in 1814 and remained open until 1907 when it was replaced by a branch office operated out of the courthouse building until 1953 when postal service was discontinued altogether due to budget cuts made by Congress.[1]

Today, most businesses in Cowansville are related to real estate or tourism although there are still a few general stores operating in town as well as a bank branch which offers banking services to residents and visitors alike.[2]

Real estate has been an important part of Cowaniville's economy for many years now and continues to be so today despite economic conditions that have affected many other parts of America over the past several years.[3]

In 2007, there were 1,032 housing units available for sale within the town limits[4] while according to statistics compiled by Realtor Association International (RAI) there were 2,906 housing units available for sale across Pennsylvania as a whole during Q3 2011[5]. This indicates that despite economic conditions which have caused many people to lose their jobs or reduce their hours worked, demand for residential property remains high throughout much of Pennsylvania including in rural areas such as Cowaniville where land is relatively affordable compared to more urbanized areas.[6]

This strong demand has resulted in average home prices within Cowaniville being above those found statewide[7], with single-family homes averaging $128 per square foot[8] while condos are also popular among buyers with an average price tag of $89 per square foot[9]. In addition to home ownership opportunities, real estate plays an important role in providing access to amenities such as schools,[10], shopping centers,[11], parks,[12], and other recreational facilities which are important considerations for families looking to live close to where they work or study.[13]

Given these factors combined withCowaniville's proximity both geographicallyand culturallyto Philadelphiawhich is oneof America's largest citiesit should not come as too muchof a surprise thatreal estatehas becomeoneofthetowns mostimportantindustriesoverthepastseveralyears.[14]