Pocono Township is the “Heart of the Poconos”
Named after the mountains that surround it, Monroe County’s Pocono Township – often called the “Heart of the Poconos” – provides residents with a wealth of outdoor recreation and natural attractions, including Camelback Mountain Resort and Big Pocono State Park. “There’s really a lot to do up here. At one point around the 1950s and 60s, the Poconos were considered the honeymoon capital of the world,” says Kurt Fretz, a local Realtor with Great American Real Estate Company who has decades of selling homes in the Poconos and Lehigh Valley. Although the greater Poconos region has slightly declined in popularity since its heyday in the late 20th century, it still welcomes tens of millions of visitors to its mountain resorts yearly and has a growing permanent resident population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pocono Township was home to nearly 10,900 residents in 2020. “The population has been pretty steady recently. I do see slightly more people moving here from outside the area, but not like it was when folks poured into the Poconos during the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s,” Fretz says. And while many of those transplants came for the natural wonders of the area, the outdoor destinations aren’t the only draw in Pocono Township. Residents are also moving here because of its central location near arterial interstate corridors, shopping centers and employment opportunities at the resorts.
Camelback is the Poconos’ largest resort
Pocono Township and the surrounding mountains have been outdoor destinations and recreational hotspots for over a century. Every year, millions of people flock to hillside resorts for skiing in the wintertime and outdoor recreation during the summer. “People come here for vacation all the time. It’s a tourism area, for sure. There are several prominent resorts in Monroe County alone, which are usually most crowded during the winter months when they open for skiing, but during the summer these resorts have ropes courses, fairs, biking and other warm-weather activities,” Fretz says. “There are also some really nice golf courses in this area and smaller township parks that locals can visit for community events and entertainment.”
Located in Pocono Township, the four-season Camelback Ski Resort is the largest of all resorts in the Pocono Mountains. During the winter, Camelback’s slopes are home to more than 35 ski and snowboard trails that can accommodate all skill levels, from beginner to expert. Two waterparks – Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark and Camelbeach Outdoor Waterpark – are operated by the resort during the warmer months, with the former located on the resort campus and the latter located in Tannersville. Camelback also encompasses the Mountain Adventures amusement park, which is full of assorted thrill rides like the mountain coaster. Surrounding the resort and its many amenities is the Big Pocono State Park, a 1,300-acre area full of hiking trails and wildlife observation opportunities.
Pocono single-family homes starting at $200,000
The median home price in Pocono Township is $370,000, which falls well below the national median. Most residential properties are single-family homes, but a handful of townhouse complexes and condominiums exist. “You’ll see some gated communities up here with amenities like private recreation areas, sometimes lakes. You don’t really see those kinds of communities in neighboring regions like Lehigh Valley,” Fretz says. “However, some people would prefer not to live in those communities because they can be difficult to get in and out of with the locked gates and guarded entrances.” Single-family homes mostly range between $200,000 and $550,000, although homes in need of repair and other investment properties usually sell for less than $100,000. Homes showcase various custom architectural styles covering everything from classic ranch-style homes and Cape Cod cottages to contemporary Craftsman-style estates and Colonial Revivals.
Shopping and dining concentrated in Tannersville village
Pocono Township has an abundance of shopping centers, restaurants and retail establishments. Most of these commercial amenities are concentrated along Interstate 80 and Route 611 as they pass through Tannersville, a village at the center of Pocono Township. Tannersville is home to malls like The Pocono Premium Outlets, which has over 100 brand-name retail stores, a central food court and fine dining restaurants. Just down the road is Tannersville Plaza, which has a Weis Markets grocery store, CVS Pharmacy and several small businesses, including salons and a laundromat. Further down Route 611, a long stretch of chain restaurants line either side of the highway. Shopping and dining establishments can be found spread throughout Pocono Township, including local favorites like Pocono Peddler’s Antique Mall and The Cook’s Corner, an American restaurant with a cozy interior and classic diner features. “There’s also a slew of wineries up here, which are all wonderful,” Fretz adds.
Students zoned for Pocono Mountain School District
Students in Pocono Township are zoned for the Pocono Mountain School District, which receives an overall B-minus rating from Niche and enrolls more than 8,000 students across its schools. Pocono is one of eight townships that feed into the district. Kindergarten through third-grade students can kickstart their education at Swiftwater Elementary Center, while grades 4 through 6 can attend Swiftwater Intermediate; both schools are rated B-minus. Pocono Mountain East Junior High School, also rated B-minus, serves seventh and eighth-grade students. The B-rated Pocono Mountain East High School offers Advanced Placement programs and over two dozen recognized student clubs and organizations.
Driving through the scenic Poconos region
Pocono Township is a mostly car-dependent community and offers residents easy access to major thoroughfares like Interstate 80, which carves through a large portion of the township. As it runs through the area, part of I-80 parallels Pennsylvania Route 611, another busy highway. Commuters can take either Route 611 or I-80 eastbound for about 11 miles to get to the Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg boroughs. Public transit services include a network of five fixed bus routes under the purview of Monroe County Transit Authority (MCTA), a transportation agency better known to locals as the Pocono Pony. The nearest major airport is Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport, a little under 25 miles away. St. Luke’s Hospital Monroe Campus has 24-hour emergency services and sits about 7 miles south of the township.
