Why We Live Here
“There is a real sense of community and family here. New employees who relocate to our region become involved in the community very quickly. Many of them tell me they wouldn’t want to work or live any place but here, so it’s easy to maintain high staff morale.” - Christine French Clark, Editor, Highlights for Children Magazine
Living in Wayne County means living in charming towns or wooded countryside with a low crime rate, quality healthcare, safe schools, and an abundance of cultural, educational and recreational resources. Our lifestyle is quite different than our urban neighbors, yet their proximity lends creative and diverse influences and provides opportunities not always enjoyed by rural communities. Imagine a weekend where your Saturday is spent boating on Lake Wallenpaupack, a beautiful mountain lake with 52 miles of shoreline, or fly fishing on the Upper Delaware River, one of the premier freshwater fishing spots in the country. We have a lifestyle that people want, a lifestyle that will be desirable to employees relocating with their companies. This combination of incredible nature, outdoor activities, and nearby urban amenities make Wayne County outstanding!
Arts and Culture
It’s no secret that our gentle living in proximity to some of the greatest urban centers in the world makes Wayne County the perfect location for artists and artisans. The Wayne County Arts Alliance both reveals and revels in our local talent, and opens the door of the artistic process to the community with an annual tour of studios. Nature and music are in perfect harmony at the Dorflinger-Suydam Sanctuary: the Wildflower Music Festival provides concert-goers a serene setting amidst fields and forests. Central Park in Honesdale plays host to a summer arts festival, and our old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration, complete with fireworks from Irving Cliff, is small town living at its best. A host of community volunteers and sponsors bring national talent to Honesdale for the annual Roots and Rhythm festival, which features a free concert enjoyed by thousands.
Climate
Our four-season climate brings ever-changing vistas and allows for year-round enjoyment of our natural beauty.
Crime Rate
Property and violent crime rates in Wayne County are considerably lower than the state and national average.
Education
Our public school districts know that quality education is our number one priority. Each is staffed by dedicated professionals committed to building the best foundation for our children. Three school districts – Wallenpaupack Area, Wayne Highlands, and Western Wayne - serve the majority of our K-12 students, three others serve the outlying areas. The County also has several parochial schools. Career development and postsecondary academic programs are provided by Lackawanna College, Luzerne County Community College, and Northampton Community College.
Healthcare
Wayne Memorial Health System, which includes Wayne Memorial Hospital, is aggressively committed to growing with the communities it serves in Wayne and Pike Counties in Pennsylvania and Sullivan County in New York. The Hospital, a non-profit community hospital located in Honesdale, Wayne County, is an acute-care, 98-bed facility with a staff of more than 70 physicians offering 31 specialties—from allergies to vascular surgery. In 2005, Wayne Memorial Hospital opened a new expanded Emergency Department with 18 treatment rooms (14 private), on-site X-ray technology and dedicated parking. In 2006, the Radiology Department added a top-of-the-line 64-slice CT Scanner and a new MRI, replacing the previous equipment and vastly expediting procedure time. The Hospital is the heart of Wayne Memorial Health System (WMHS), a network of 12 facilities offering a variety of healthcare services across 1200 square miles in Wayne and Pike Counties:
• Primary care & 30 other specialties
• Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services
• Laboratory services (bloodwork) at 5 sites
• Chemotherapy Clinic
• Home health and hospice nursing care
• Audiology and hearing aids
• Sleep Medicine Laboratory
• Youth dental clinic
• Behavioral health services
• Long-term care
• Wound Care Clinic
• Home medical equipment via Wayne Health Services
For more information about any WMHS service, contact the Hospital at (570) 253-8100 or visit www.wmh.org.
Home Values
Housing is available and relatively affordable throughout the five-county Northeastern Pennsylvania region:
Museums and Historic Sites
The Wayne County Historical Society is a dynamic organization intent on preserving our local heritage. Expanded facilities include gallery space for exhibits such as the one featuring Wayne County’s own Jennie Brownscombe, an extensive collection of Dorflinger glass, and a gift shop. The Equinunk Historical Society tends to the history of the northern portion of the County. Here you will find the Joel Hill Water-powered Sawmill, the only working water sawmill in northeastern Pennsylvania. Annual tours are provided. A must see experience is provided by the Dorflinger Glass Museum, which houses masterpieces produced by famed glassmaker Christian Dorflinger.
Parks and Outdoor Recreation
With our many lakes and steams, and Pocono Mountain surroundings, Wayne County is paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Two of our largest water areas are the Delaware River and Lake Wallenpaupack, which we share with neighboring Pike County. Both offer the best of boating, camping, fishing and wildlife observation. Built in 1926 to supply waterpower for a hydroelectric plant, Lake Wallenpaupack is one of the County’s major natural resources. This 5,700 acre lake with 52 miles of shoreline lets us play hard, or provides the perfect backdrop for an evening’s sunset. Major streams include the Delaware River, Dyberry River, Lackawaxen River, and Wallenpaupack Stream.
Woodlands cover nearly 60% of Wayne County. The term “fall foliage” is not taken lightly, as our large variety of trees create spectacular scenery and tourism opportunities. More than 14,000 acres of Gamelands are paradise for hunters, hikers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts.
National Park System
Upper Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River: 75,000 acres of land area and 100 miles of free flowing water. Fishing, hiking, canoeing, birdwatching. The area is a major nesting site for the Bald Eagle.
State Park System
Gouldsboro State Park: Lehigh Township and Monroe County. 2,800 acres of land, 250-acre lake. Five wooded picnic areas. Boating, swimming, fishing and trails.Prompton State Park: 280-acre lake with 6.25 miles of shoreline. Public boat launch, hiking, mountain bike trails, Disc Golf.Tobyhanna State Park: Over 530 acres in Wayne County, extending into Monroe county for total acreage of 5,400. 170-acre lake. Boating, camping, fishing, trails.
Sanctuaries
Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary: 578 acres, numerous nature trails for hiking, and nature walks with a variety of trees and plants marked and identified. Lacawac Sanctuary: 578 acres, including 52-acre Lake Lacawac. This unpolluted glacial lake is designated as National Natural Landmark. Cultural and environmental education programs.Shuman Point Natural Area: 250 acres along Lake Wallenpaupack.
Sports
Our amateur athletes and weekend warriors find plenty of competition at our sporting facilities, ballfields, golf courses, and bowling alleys. If you crave big league excitement, an hours drive brings you to Lackawanna Stadium, home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees– the Triple A franchise of the New York Yankees, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza where the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins are the AHL hometown favorites, or Pocono Raceway, site of NASCAR’s famed Pocono 500.