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Renting an Apartment in Ambler
What You Should Know
Ambler is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the United States,
approximately 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Philadelphia.
History
Village of Wissahickon
Ambler was originally known as the Village of Wissahickon, named for the North
Pennsylvania Railroad depot established there in the mid-1850s. The town was
renamed to Ambler in 1869 in honor of Mary Johnson Ambler, a local Quaker woman
who heroically assisted during The Great Train Wreck of 1856, a local train
accident in which 59 people were killed instantly and dozens more died from
their injuries.
Legacy of asbestos
In 1881, The Keasbey and Mattison Company, whose business included the
manufacture of asbestos moved to Ambler from Philadelphia. The company invested
heavily in the town. However, the Great Depression took its toll on the company,
and it was sold to an English concern, Turner & Newhall in 1934. Newhall
operated the factory until it closed in 1962. Federal-Mogul, an American
automotive supplier, purchased the assets of Turner & Newhall, and is itself in
Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to asbestos liability. Contamination remains an issue
in Ambler. One area was declared a Superfund site and remediated by the United
States EPA. Another remains unremediated. The derelict factory and smokestack
remain as a symbols of asbestos' legacy. Local government has made redevelopment
of the sites a priority. One proposal, for a 17-story condominium tower, was
withdrawn after community opposition to the project.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of
2.2 km� (0.8 mi�), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 6,426 people, 2,510 households, and
1,598 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,953.7/km�
(7,605.8/mi�). There were 2,605 housing units at an average density of
1,197.4/km� (3,083.3/mi�). The racial makeup of the borough was 83.29% White,
12.03% African American, 0.25% Native American, 2.47% Asian, 0.06% Pacific
Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.
There were 2,510 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.2% of all
households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the
average family size was 3.08.
In the borough the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18,
7.0% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were
65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females
there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8
males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $47,014, and the median
income for a family was $51,235. Males had a median income of $40,305 versus
$30,735 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,688. About
2.4% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Politics and government
Ambler has a city manager form of government with a mayor and a nine-member
borough council. The mayor is Charles "Bud" Wahl. The borough is part of the
Thirteenth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Allyson Schwartz), the
151st State House District (represented by Rep. Rick Taylor) and the 12th State
Senate District (represented by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf).
Education
The Borough of Ambler is served by the Wissahickon School District. In 2004, the
Wissahickon School District had 4,535 students. Wissahickon School District is
comprised of seven schools: five elementary, one middle (grades 6-8) and one
high school (grades 9-12).