According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 17.5 square miles, of which, 17.4 square miles of it is land and 0.04 square miles of it is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,279 people, 828 households, and 646 families residing in the township. The population density was 130.9 people per square mile. There were 861 housing units at an average density of 49.4/sq mi. The racial makeup of the township was 98.99% White, 0.18% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.04% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population. There were 828 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.3% were married couplesliving together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.13. In the township the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males. The median income for a household in the township was $49,716, and the median income for a family was $56,250. Males had a median income of $34,034 versus $25,179 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,593. About 5.1% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
The first European settlers were German-Swiss Protestants, particularly Lutherans, who began clearing and farming the land in the early 18th century. Even today, most residents can trace their ancestry to one or more of those early settlers. The native Indian population was quickly driven north into the Appalachian Mountains, although conflicts between natives and settlers were recorded as late as 1756. This area was originally part of Lebanon Township of Lancaster County and then Annville Township of Lebanon County. North Annville became a separate township in 1845, and its borders have remained unchanged since then, except for the southern edge, which was incorporated into the town of Annville in 1912. The main industry has always been farming. Many of the farms, dairy and livestock, have passed from generation to generation for more than a hundred years. The countryside is dotted with small residential communities, the largest of which are Bellegrove, Water Works, and Steelstown. Apart from a few family-owned businesses, the only major employer is a limestone quarry, which mines the high-calcium geological formation known as the Annville Belt.
