According to the United States Census Bureau, Preston Township has a total area of 51.546 sq mi, of which 49.419 sq mi is land and 2.127 sq mi, or 4.126%, is water. The township and surrounding area has been called "the highlands of Wayne " because it is especially mountainous. About half of the highest peak in the county, Mount Ararat, is located in the village of Orson, as is the entirety of Sugarloaf Mountain, another especially prominent summit. It is also known for its abundance of lakes, most of which are fed by natural springs on their lake bottoms. As a result of this latter fact, combined with its generally high elevation, two significant Pennsylvania rivers, the Lackawanna and the Lackawaxen, begin in Preston Township. Specifically, Bone Pond and Lake Lorain in the village of Poyntelle and Independent Lake in Poyntelle and Orson are three of the four sources of the East Branch of the Lackawanna, while the West Branch of the Lackawaxen rises from a confluence of several small, unnamed streams in Orson and Poyntelle.
Communities
The following villages are located in Preston Township:
Lake Como
Lakewood
Orson
Poyntelle
Preston
Preston Center
Preston Park
Shehawken
Tallmanville
Wrighter Corner
Demographics
As of the Census of 2010, there were 1,014 people, 439 households, and 292 families in Preston Township. The township's population density was 20.52 people per square mile, and there were 983 housing units at an average density of 19.9/sq mi. The racial makeup of the populace was 98.6% White, 0.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.0% of other races, and 0.9% of two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of all races made up 0.5% of the population. 66.5% of Preston Township's households were families, 56.7% were headed by a heterosexualmarried couple, and 22.3% included children under the age of 18. 6.2% of households were headed by a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% by a male householder with no wife present, and 33.5% consisted of non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% consisted of a person 65 years of age or older living alone. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.81. Preston Townships's age distribution was 19.7% under the age of 18, 2.8% between the ages of 18 and 24, 22.7% between 25 and 44, 35.3% between 45 and 64, and 19.5% 65 years of age or older. The population's median age was 48.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males in the same age range. According to American Community Survey estimates, the median income for a household in Preston Township in 2013 was $49,167, and the median income for a family was $68,594. Males had a median income of $30,850, while females had a median income of $32,125. The per capita income for the township was $25,393. 5.7% of families and 15.5% of people were below the Census Bureau's poverty thresholds, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over. According to self-reported ancestry figures recorded by the ACS, the five largest ancestral groups in Preston Township in 2013 were Germans, English, Irish, Poles, and Russians. Those reporting American ancestry made up 3.4% of the population.
