Orleans County, New York
Encyclopedia
As of the census
of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density
was 113 people per square mile (44/km²). There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.12% White
, 7.31% Black
or African American
, 0.46% Native American
, 0.32% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 1.54% from other races
, and 1.21% from two or more races. 3.89% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 20.3% were of German
, 18.3% English
, 10.8% Italian
, 10.3% Irish
, 9.4% American
and 7.3% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English
and 3.0% Spanish
as their first language.
There were 15,363 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,972, and the median income for a family was $42,830. Males had a median income of $32,450 versus $22,605 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,457. About 7.7% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
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The only post-secondary education available in the county are two branches of Genesee Community College
located in Albion and Medina.
or John Adams
; the conflict was ended by choosing the name Orleans.
The Erie Canal Culvert near Medina is the only roadway that passes under the Erie Canal.
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 113 people per square mile (44/km²). There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.12% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 7.31% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.46% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.32% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.54% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.21% from two or more races. 3.89% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 20.3% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 18.3% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 10.8% Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, 10.3% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 9.4% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 7.3% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 3.0% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 15,363 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,972, and the median income for a family was $42,830. Males had a median income of $32,450 versus $22,605 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $16,457. About 7.7% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Towns and villages
- AlbionAlbion (village), Orleans County, New YorkAlbion is a village in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 7,438 at the 2000 census. The village is centrally located in the county and is partly in both the towns of Albion and Gaines. It is the county seat of Orleans County and is about west north-west of the City of...
(village) - AlbionAlbion (town), Orleans County, New York----Albion is a town in Orleans County, New York, USA. The population was 8,042 at the 2000 census. The town was named after a village in the town....
(town) - BarreBarre, New YorkBarre is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 2,124 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Barre, Massachusetts.The Town of Barre is on the south border of the county.- History :...
(town) - CarltonCarlton, New YorkCarlton is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Carleton, a shipbuilding district near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada....
(town) - ClarendonClarendon, New YorkClarendon is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 3,392 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Clarendon, Vermont.The Town of Clarendon is in the southeast part of the county...
(town) - GainesGaines, New YorkGaines is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 3,740 at the 2000 census. The town is named after General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, who defended the area during the War of 1812....
(town) - HolleyHolley, New YorkHolley is a village in the town of Murray in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 1,802 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The village of Holley was incorporated in 1850...
(village) - KendallKendall, New YorkKendall is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 2,838 at the 2000 census. The Town of Kendall is in the northeast corner of the county and is northwest of Rochester.- History :...
(town) - LyndonvilleLyndonville, New YorkLyndonville is a village in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 862 at the 2000 census. The name was selected because some of the early settlers were from Lyndon, Vermont...
(village) - MedinaMedina, New YorkMedina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous municipality in the county after Albion, the county seat. The village was named by its surveyor...
(village) - MurrayMurray, New YorkMurray is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,259 at the 2000 census.The Town of Murray is on the east border of the county, northwest of the City of Rochester.- History :Murray was first settled around 1809....
(town) - RidgewayRidgeway, New YorkRidgeway, New York is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,886 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from "Ridge Road," an important highway in the 19th century....
(town) - ShelbyShelby, New YorkShelby, New York is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 5,420 at the 2000 census.The Town of Shelby is located in southwest corner of Orleans County.- History :...
(town) - YatesYates, New YorkYates is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 2,510 at the 2000 census. The town in named after Joseph C. Yates, a governor of New York.The Town of Yates is in the northwest part of the county...
(town)
- label in parentheses refers to official category of political entity.
Federal and state lands
- Iroquois National Wildlife RefugeIroquois National Wildlife RefugeThe Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Genesee and Orleans Counties in the western part of New York. The refuge is between the cities of Buffalo and Rochester....
- Lakeside Beach State ParkLakeside Beach State ParkLakeside Beach State Park is a New York state park, located in western New York in the Town of Carlton in Orleans County on the shore of Lake Ontario. The park may be accessed from Route 18. The park includes over one hundred campsites with electrical hook-ups, as well as a campground store...
- Oak Orchard State Marine ParkOak Orchard State Marine ParkOak Orchard State Marine Park is a state park located at the mouth of Oak Orchard Creek at Lake Ontario in the Town of Carlton in Orleans County, New York, USA. The park can be accessed on NYS Route 18...
- Oak Orchard Wildlife Management AreaOak Orchard Wildlife Management AreaThe Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area is a conservation area located in western New York, USA. Most of this wildlife area is in the northwest part of Genesee County, but a small northern portion is in Orleans County....
- Tonawanda Wildlife Management AreaTonawanda Wildlife Management AreaThe Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area is a conservation area located in western New York, USA. Most of the area is in Niagara County and Genesee County, but a small portion is inside Orleans County....
Educational institutions
The county is considered to have five school districts, although the actual district boundaries can extend into neighboring counties, and the same is true for neighboring counties' districts. The five districts, from west to east, are:- Lyndonville Central School District (northern half of western third, roughly covering Lyndonville village and the towns of Yates and Ridgeway)
- Medina Central School DistrictMedina Central School DistrictMedina Central School District is a public school district that serves the village of Medina, NY as well as the towns of Ridgeway , Shelby, a small part of Barre, and a small part of Hartland which is in Niagara County. The school district consists of 2400 students in grades K–12. K–2 are taught...
(southern half of western third, roughly covering Medina village and the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby) - Albion Central School DistrictAlbion Central School DistrictThe Albion Central School District is a public school district in New York State that serves approximately 2600 children in the village of Albion; most of the towns of Albion, Barre, Carlton, and Gaines; small parts of the towns of Kendall, Murray, and Ridgeway in Orleans County; and portions of...
(middle third, roughly covering Albion village and the towns of Carlton, Gaines, Albion, and Barre) - Kendall Central School DistrictKendall Central School DistrictThe Kendall Central School District is a public school district in New York State that serves approximately 1000 students in the town of Kendall and portions of the towns of Carlton, Kent and Murray in Orleans County; and portions of the towns of Clarkson and Hamlin in Monroe County, with over 150...
(northern half of eastern third, roughly covering the towns of Kendall and Murray) - Holley Central School DistrictHolley Central School DistrictHolley Central School District is a public school district that serves the village of Holley, New York and the towns of Murray and Clarendon. The school district consists of 1,385 students in grades PreK-12...
(southern half of eastern third, roughly covering Holley village and the towns of Murray and Clarendon)
The only post-secondary education available in the county are two branches of Genesee Community College
Genesee Community College
Genesee Community College is a public community college with its main campus in Town of Batavia, New York, USA . It has branch campuses in Albion, Medina, Warsaw, Dansville, Arcade, Lima, and previously Lakeville, New York. Thus, the college covers areas outside of Genesee County...
located in Albion and Medina.
Additional information
When the county was formed, a dispute arose about naming it after Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
or John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
; the conflict was ended by choosing the name Orleans.
The Erie Canal Culvert near Medina is the only roadway that passes under the Erie Canal.
See also
- Orleans County Sheriffs Office
- List of fire departments in Orleans County, New York
- List of counties in New York
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Orleans County, New York