DEVELOPERS > Economic Data & Stats
Economic & Community Data
Greensburg is growing. Business owners and residents continue to move to the area, making it a great place for new ventures to thrive and investments to achieve a favorable return. As the county seat, Greensburg is centrally located within Westmoreland County, with easy access to the Laurel Highlands, the City of Pittsburgh, and other communities of southwestern Pennsylvania.
General Population
According to the 2000 United States census, the Greensburg city population is 15,889 and the median age is 39 years old. There are 7,144 occupied houses out of the 7,734 housing units. Student enrollment is high due to both a public and private elementary and secondary school system. There are two universities located in the Greensburg area; Seton Hill University is within the City limits and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg is 2.3 miles from downtown. The undergraduate and graduate students from the universities contribute to Greensburg’s population growth. In 2000, the average income in Greensburg was $40,141 and the median income was $30,324. Visit the U.S. Census Bureau web site for more data on the city of Greensburg.
Downtown Property Profile
A recent Transit Revitalization Investment District (TRID) study analyzed the property within the Cultural and Shopping Districts and determined the following general characteristics, As with most downtowns and urban centers, a significant percentage of property within downtown Greensburg is public (tax-exempt). Churches, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies own 1/3 or 29% of the property within the downtown area. The percentage of public (tax-exempt) properties is balanced by the composition of commercial property, 30%, and residential property (single-family and multi-family), 32%. An opportunity exists to increase the percentage of mixed-use property beyond 3% and to decrease the percentage of vacant buildings by promoting the growing student housing rental market. Promotion of vacant lots as sites for new infill commercial and/or mixed-use buildings is also an opportunity.
Existing Land Use Inventory – Cultural and Shopping Districts
Greensburg’s Cultural and Shopping Districts represent 0.23 square miles within the city and include 784 parcels. Existing land use falls within the following percentages:
| Existing Land Use | # of Parcels | % of Land Area |
| Commercial | 250 | 30% |
| Public (Tax-Exempt) | 270 | 29% |
| Single_family Residential | 66 | 22% |
| Multi-Family Residential | 100 | 10% |
| Mixed-Use | 29 | 3% |
| Vacant Lot | 36 | 2% |
| Vacant Building | 28 | 3% |
| Unknown | 16 | 2% |
Investment & Assessed Value – Cultural and Shopping Districts
Within the Cultural and Shopping Districts, the public and private sectors have made a total investment of $58,592,450 since 1997. This number represents projects within three classifications: completed, active, and planned investments. The financial impact of this investment did not result in an increase in property tax revenue collected by the City, County, and School District. The three taxing bodies experienced a $960,960 decrease in total assessed value of taxable properties. The percentage of property owned by nonprofit organizations and government institutions has steadily increased. Another factor has been the lowering of assessed value of commercial properties. In 2008 and 2009, many owners of older and underutilized properties have won appeals resulting in a lower total assessed value within the City. The study noted a $2.11 million increase in total assessed value of tax-exempt properties.
| 1998 | 2008 | |
| Assessed value | $52,854,905 | $53,997,910 |
| Tax-exempt | $31,815,455 | $33,928,420 |
| Taxable | $21,030,450 | $20,069,490 |
Cultural District Travel and Tourism Data
Greensburg’s thriving Cultural District includes the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, the newly-renovated historic Palace Theatre, Seton Hill University’s new Performing Arts Center and the beautifully restored Greensburg Train Station (still serving as an Amtrak station and housing an upscale restaurant and offices) – surrounded by bookstores, cafes, art galleries and restaurants.
The ability of Greensburg’s Cultural District to attract visitors and capture their dollars within the local economy mirrors the conclusions of national, state, and regional reports. A 2006 study from the Travel Industry Association of America and Smithsonian Magazine shows that a traveler's interest in experiencing cultural, arts, historic and heritage activities continues to grow. These travelers also spend more on historic and cultural trips compared to the average U.S. trip ($623 v. $457, excluding cost of transportation). The Cultural District’s most notable impact on the local economy is the direct spending by patrons of the Palace Theatre. An economic impact study by Mullin Lonergan Associates determined the 2008 season generated $7,081,815.00 from 141 performances. This number includes $6,607,944.00 in direct spending and $473.871.00 in local wages.
According to a 2003 Travel Profile of Pennsylvania, the typical overnight, leisure traveler to the Laurel Highlands Region resembles the following profile:
| Visitor Spending - | $635 million |
| Tourism Employment - | 14,496 |
| Tourism Wages - | $434 million |
The information presented below on visitors to Greensburg’s Cultural and Shopping Districts is based on attendance totals, estimated public participation, registration lists, and a merchant transaction study.
| Number of Visitors | ||
| Westmoreland Museum of American Art | 28,000 | (2006 data) |
| Palace Theatre | 56,000 | (2006 data) |
| Summer Sounds Outdoor Concert Series | 18,000 | (2007 season) |
| Downtown Retail and Service Businesses | 145,000 | (2006 data) |
| Westmoreland County Jury Commissioner Office | 5,200 | (2007 data) |
| Total - Downtown Visitors | 252,200 | |
Analysis of Palace Theatre Ticket Sales
The GCDC analyzed the zip codes for people buying tickets to a performance at the Palace Theatre. The data represents10 national touring performances with the total tickets sold at 14,699. The seating capacity of the Palace Theatre is 1,350.
| Geographic Area | Tickets Sold | % Sales |
| Westmoreland County | 7,484 | 50.92% |
|
Southwestern, PA (Excludes Westmoreland County) |
5,637 | 38.35% |
|
Pennsylvania (Excludes Westmoreland County and SW PA) |
599 | 4.08% |
| Non-Pennsylvania | 979 | 6.66% |
Seton Hill University opened its new Performing Arts Center, containing both a concert hall and a theatre, in August 2009. This new venue will all attract a substantial number of students and visitors to the Cultural District.
