The Municipality of Norristown excels in providing housing and business development opportunities, public safety, and recreational and cultural activities. The Municipality of Norristown is dedicated to ensuring a high quality of life for our residents through the implementation of meaningful policies and programs, the efficient and effective delivery of services, and a commitment to achieving a vision of prosperity for our vibrant, diverse, and historic community.
The Department of Planning and Development oversees all planning, land development, and zoning activities and manages all federal, state, county, and local grants within the Municipality. Norristown is looking toward the future without forgetting its past. While the future cannot be predicted, it can be prepared not only by planners but by the community, as well. Norristown encourages civic engagement in the planning process to ensure residents have a say in planning decisions.
More than any other municipality in Montgomery County, Norristown resembles a city. Its land use conforms to traditional urban patterns and shapes. The Municipality has an identifiable downtown business district, which is surrounded on three sides by residential neighborhoods that gradually decrease in density as one travels away from the downtown area.
In 2020, Norristown, PA had a population of roughly 35,700 people with a median age of 32.9 and a median household income of $54,409, compared to a median age and income of 41.3 and $93,518 within Montgomery County, PA, and a median age and income of 40.9 and $68,957 across the Commonwealth, respectively. Despite a relatively young population, around a fifth of Norristown residents do not have an internet subscription according to 2020 census data. Unsurprisingly, internet access tracks closely with income in Norristown with 27% of residents making less than $75,000 per year having no internet subscription. The percentage of people with no internet subscription drops to 9.6% when looking at residents who make above $75,000 per year.
Norristown is also historically diverse. The largest ethnic groups in the Municipality are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (36.2%), White (Non-Hispanic) (27.4%), White (Hispanic) (12.1%), and Other (Hispanic) (8.98%). The Municipality also has a large population of immigrant residents. As of 2020, 19.6% of Norristown residents were born outside of the United States, which is higher than Montgomery County at 11.1% and a national average of 13.5%.
In this project, a student will analyze the state of internet accessibility and affordability of Norristown’s residents and explore determinants of the digital divide.
The digital divide is a term that refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology (ICT), and those that don't or have restricted access. This technology can include phones, television, personal computers, and the internet. More Americans than ever are using computers and connecting to the Internet, but a significant portion of the population, particularly minorities and people in small cities, lacks access to basic information technology tools.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center (2021), roughly a quarter of adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year (24%) say they don’t own a smartphone. About four-in-ten adults with lower incomes do not have home broadband services (43%) or a desktop or laptop computer (41%). And most Americans with lower incomes (lower than $30,000) are not tablet owners. By comparison, each of these technologies is nearly pervasive among adults in households earning $100,000 or more a year.
The Fels student, with overview and support of Planning & Municipal Development leadership, will design and administer a mixed-method research analysis of Norristown residents leveraging primary and secondary data (e.g., local focus groups, Census Bureau data, etc.). The analysis aims to better understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that exist with Norristown’s current digital divide to inform future planned improvements.
The project’s final report will aggregate the data by exploring the various factors that influence the existing digital divide and the availability and affordability of internet data services. The results from this analysis provide insights into policy that can potentially bridge the digital gap for Norristown residents.
Written report which includes:
(1) Literature review of determinants of internet accessibility and affordability;
(2) Data analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that exist with Norristown’s current digital divide;
(3) Recommendations for internet accessibility and affordability improvements and future policies and planning studies that could be implemented by the Municipality of Norristown.
