Town file
Jackson Township, Pennsylvania
Jackson Township, Pennsylvania (Monroe County, Pennsylvania) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 675, "The Sinister Minister" (19 February 2026).
- Town
- Jackson Township
- County
- Monroe County
- State
- Pennsylvania
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 675
- Approximate location
- 39.909, -76.874
Episode 675 / 19 February 2026 / 181 min / full
The Sinister Minister
"We're going to Jackson Township, Pennsylvania... this is in Monroe County, so this is the Jackson Township in Monroe County." about 0:05:38
The case: Murder of Jul Shermer (April 23rd, 1999); Murder of Betty Jean Shermer (July 15th, 2008). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2026
- Population
- 6,596
- Median age
- 46.9
- Median household income
- $82,938
- Median home value
- $432,500
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,220
- Cost of living
- 95
- Religious
- 45.3%
- Property crime
- ▼ about one third
- Violent crime
- ▼ slightly above half the average
History, in brief
- Jackson Township was incorporated on December 13th, 1843, and like most of the Jackson townships was named for Andrew Jackson. about 0:06:35
- There are eighteen Jackson townships in Pennsylvania, and this is the one in Monroe County. about 0:04:51
- A big portion of the Pocono State Park sits on Camelback Mountain in the township. about 0:06:22
- Jackson Township was mainly a farming and logging community. about 0:07:01
- According to the township's history, some of the state's most progressive farms in the mid-19th century were located in Jackson Township. about 0:07:07
- The township played a part in the Monroe County ice industry, with most of the ice harvested on Trout Lake and Mountain Springs Lake. about 0:07:29
- The area code is 570 and 272. about 0:05:53
The reviews read out
3.7 stars
"The average rating for the township on Niche."about 0:08:27
4 stars
"A lot of people come for Crayola and Hershey, both of which are great."about 0:08:31
4 stars
"I wish I had the option of staying here forever."about 0:08:59
4 stars
"Minimal crime in this area besides some isolated occasions, not many drastic occurrences and no major crimes."about 0:09:14
3 stars
"Very eclectic: it gets quite hot in the summer, below zero in the winter and everything in between."about 0:09:30
2 stars
"Many people she knows are paid minimum wage; her forty-six-year-old mother works two jobs, one of them for under ten dollars an hour."about 0:10:12
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Washington Boro, Pennsylvania22 miles
- Westminster, Maryland24 miles
- Newville, Pennsylvania33 miles
- Lititz, Pennsylvania35 miles
- Joppatowne, Maryland44 miles
- Middle River, Maryland46 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.