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Erie County is a county located in the state of New York. As of 2000, the population is 950,265. The county seat is Buffalo. The county name comes from the name of a tribe of Indians living in Western New York State prior to 1654.
History
When counties were established in New York State in 1683, the present Erie County was part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present State of Vermont and, in theory, extending westward to the Pacific Ocean. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766 by the creation of Cumberland County, and further on March 16, 1770 by the creation of Gloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont.
On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Tryon County, contained the western portion (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately five miles west of the present city of Schenectady, and the county included the western part of the Adirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of the Delaware River. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. The county was named for William Tryon, colonial governor of New York.
In the years prior to 1776, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County fled to Canada. In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War, the name of Tryon County was changed to Montgomery County to honor the general, Richard Montgomery, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of Quebec, replacing the name of the hated British governor.
In 1789, Ontario County was split off from Montgomery. In turn, Genesee County was created from Ontario County in 1802, and Niagara County was created from Genesee County in 1808.
Erie County was created from Niagara County in 1821. Prior to that time the area now within the county had been composed of the Town of Clarence and the Town of Willink, both of which had been created in Niagara County. Clarence still exists as a town, but Willink has been partitioned completely into other towns in the county. By 1821, both these towns had already begun subdividing to form new towns.
Geography
Erie County is in the extreme western portion of New York State, bordering on the lake of the same name.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,178 km² (1,227 mi²). 2,704 km² (1,044 mi²) of it is land and 473 km² (183 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 14.89% water. The northern border of the county is Tonawanda Creek. Part of the southern border is Cattaraugus Creek. Other major streams include Buffalo Creek (Buffalo River), Cayuga Creek, and Ellicott Creek.
The county's northern half, including Buffalo and its suburbs, is relatively flat and rises gently up from the lake. The southern half is much hillier.
The highest elevation in the county is a hill in the Town of Sardinia that tops out at around 1,940 feet (591 m) above sea level. The lowest ground is about 560 feet (171 m), on Grand Island at the Niagara River.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 950,265 people, 380,873 households, and 243,377 families residing in the county. The population density is 351/km² (910/mi²). There are 415,868 housing units at an average density of 154/km² (398/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 82.18% White, 13.00% Black or African American, 0.61% Native American, 1.46% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.42% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 3.27% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 380,873 households out of which 29.60% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.50% are married couples living together, 13.70% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.10% are non-families. 30.50% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.50% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 3.04.
In the county the population is spread out with 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 91.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $38,567, and the median income for a family is $49,490. Males have a median income of $38,703 versus $26,510 for females. The per capita income for the county is $20,357. 12.20% of the population and 9.20% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.30% of those under the age of 18 and 7.80% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities, Towns, Villages, and other locations
- label in parentheses refers to legal municipal designation.
Information about Erie County
Erie County is home to the Buffalo Bills football team and the Sabres hockey team. The city also features a zoo, a botanical garden, a science museum, an historical museum, and the famous Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
Educational Institutions
Many educational institutions include: Bryant and Stratton, Buffalo State College, Canisius College, Daemen College, D'Youville College, Erie Community College, Hilbert College, Medaille College, Trocaire College, University at Buffalo, and Villa Maria College.
Adjacent Counties and areas
The western border of Erie County is Lake Erie and the Niagara River. On the opposite side of the Niagara River is the Province of Ontario in Canada. The northern border is Niagara County. Genesee County and Wyoming County form the eastern border. On the southern border are Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties.
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