County in New York
| Cayuga County | |
|---|---|
| County | |
 Cayuga County Courthouse | |
 Flag Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of New York | |
 New York's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 43°00′N 76°34′W / 43°N 76.57°W / 43; -76.57 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| Founded | 1799 |
| Named for | Cayuga people |
| Seat | Auburn |
| Largest city | Auburn |
| Area | |
| • Total | 864 sq mi (2,240 km) |
| • Land | 692 sq mi (1,790 km) |
| • Water | 172 sq mi (450 km) 20% |
| Population | |
| • Total | 76,248 |
| • Density | 110.3/sq mi (42.6/km) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 24th |
| Website | www |
Cayuga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 76,248. Its county seat and largest city is Auburn. The county was named for the Cayuga people, one of the Native American tribes in the Iroquois Confederation. The county is part of the Central New York region of the state.
Cayuga County comprises the Auburn, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Syracuse-Auburn, NY Combined Statistical Area.
History
When counties were established in the Province of New York in 1683, the present Cayuga County was part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of the present state of New York and 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 in honor of 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, Montgomery County was reduced in size by the splitting off of Ontario County. The actual area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, also including the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Steuben, Wyoming, Yates, and part of Schuyler and Wayne Counties.
Herkimer County was one of three counties split off from Montgomery County (the others being Otsego and Tioga Counties) in 1791.
Onondaga County was formed in 1794 by the splitting of Herkimer County.
Cayuga County was formed in 1799 by the splitting of Onondaga County. This county was, however, much larger than the present Cayuga County. It then included the present Seneca and Tompkins Counties.
In 1804, Seneca County was formed by the splitting of Cayuga County. Then in 1817, in turn, a portion of Seneca County was combined with a piece of the remainder of Cayuga County to form Tompkins County.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, this region attracted European immigrants who developed farms or took over existing ones, particularly from Italy and Poland.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 864 square miles (2,240 km), of which 692 square miles (1,790 km) is land and 172 square miles (450 km) (20%) is water.
Cayuga County is located in the west central part of the state, in the Finger Lakes region. Owasco Lake is in the center of the county, and Cayuga Lake forms part of the western boundary. Lake Ontario is on the northern border, and Skaneateles Lake and Cross Lake form part of the eastern border. Cayuga County has more waterfront land than any other county in the state not adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.
Adjacent counties
- Oswego County – northeast
- Onondaga County – east
- Cortland County – southeast
- Tompkins County – south
- Seneca County – west
- Wayne County – west
- Prince Edward County, Ontario – north
Major highways
Interstate 90 (New York State Thruway)
U.S. Route 20
New York State Route 3
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 34
New York State Route 38
New York State Route 90
New York State Route 104
National protected areas
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 15,871 | — | |
| 1810 | 29,843 | 88.0% | |
| 1820 | 38,897 | 30.3% | |
| 1830 | 47,948 | 23.3% | |
| 1840 | 50,338 | 5.0% | |
| 1850 | 55,458 | 10.2% | |
| 1860 | 55,767 | 0.6% | |
| 1870 | 59,550 | 6.8% | |
| 1880 | 65,081 | 9.3% | |
| 1890 | 65,302 | 0.3% | |
| 1900 | 66,234 | 1.4% | |
| 1910 | 67,106 | 1.3% | |
| 1920 | 65,221 | −2.8% | |
| 1930 | 64,751 | −0.7% | |
| 1940 | 65,508 | 1.2% | |
| 1950 | 70,136 | 7.1% | |
| 1960 | 73,942 | 5.4% | |
| 1970 | 77,439 | 4.7% | |
| 1980 | 79,894 | 3.2% | |
| 1990 | 82,313 | 3.0% | |
| 2000 | 81,963 | −0.4% | |
| 2010 | 80,026 | −2.4% | |
| 2020 | 76,248 | −4.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 | |||
2020 Census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 66,313 | 86.97% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 2,727 | 3.57% |
| Native American (NH) | 224 | 0.29% |
| Asian (NH) | 379 | 0.49% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 54 | 0.07% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 3,915 | 5.13% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,636 | 3.45% |
2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 81,963 people, 30,558 households, and 20,840 families residing in the county. The population density was 118 people per square mile (46 people/km). There were 35,477 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile (20/km). The racial makeup of the county was 93.34% White, 3.99% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. 1.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.3% were of Irish, 16.0% English, 15.7% Italian, 11.3% German, 9.5% American and 6.3% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.9% spoke English, 2.0% Spanish and 1.0% Italian as their first language.
There were 30,558 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.10% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,487, and the median income for a family was $44,973. Males had a median income of $33,356 versus $23,919 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,003. About 7.80% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.90% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.
At 2.3%, Cayuga County has the highest share of Ukrainian Americans of any county in New York State. The Ukrainian-American population in Cayuga County is heavily concentrated in the Auburn area.
Government and politics
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2008) |
| Year | Republican / Whig | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 20,482 | 56.09% | 15,772 | 43.19% | 263 | 0.72% |
| 2020 | 19,632 | 53.33% | 16,359 | 44.44% | 818 | 2.22% |
| 2016 | 17,384 | 52.41% | 13,522 | 40.76% | 2,266 | 6.83% |
| 2012 | 13,454 | 43.18% | 17,007 | 54.58% | 700 | 2.25% |
| 2008 | 15,243 | 44.80% | 18,128 | 53.28% | 651 | 1.91% |
| 2004 | 17,743 | 49.22% | 17,534 | 48.64% | 775 | 2.15% |
| 2000 | 14,988 | 44.11% | 17,031 | 50.12% | 1,959 | 5.77% |
| 1996 | 11,093 | 34.78% | 15,879 | 49.79% | 4,922 | 15.43% |
| 1992 | 12,065 | 33.82% | 13,088 | 36.69% | 10,518 | 29.49% |
| 1988 | 16,934 | 52.45% | 15,044 | 46.60% | 307 | 0.95% |
| 1984 | 21,451 | 63.50% | 12,207 | 36.14% | 121 | 0.36% |
| 1980 | 17,945 | 54.78% | 11,708 | 35.74% | 3,103 | 9.47% |
| 1976 | 19,775 | 59.31% | 13,348 | 40.03% | 220 | 0.66% |
| 1972 | 22,774 | 67.08% | 11,097 | 32.68% | 81 | 0.24% |
| 1968 | 16,167 | 49.49% | 14,604 | 44.71% | 1,895 | 5.80% |
| 1964 | 11,453 | 32.20% | 24,090 | 67.73% | 23 | 0.06% |
| 1960 | 20,437 | 54.18% | 17,257 | 45.75% | 28 | 0.07% |
| 1956 | 26,503 | 72.08% | 10,268 | 27.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 25,037 | 68.08% | 11,695 | 31.80% | 46 | 0.13% |
| 1948 | 19,017 | 56.35% | 14,317 | 42.42% | 413 | 1.22% |
| 1944 | 18,680 | 57.25% | 13,849 | 42.44% | 100 | 0.31% |
| 1940 | 21,032 | 59.80% | 13,985 | 39.76% | 156 | 0.44% |
| 1936 | 20,203 | 60.85% | 12,158 | 36.62% | 839 | 2.53% |
| 1932 | 17,280 | 55.66% | 12,989 | 41.84% | 774 | 2.49% |
| 1928 | 20,202 | 62.11% | 11,787 | 36.24% | 536 | 1.65% |
| 1924 | 17,252 | 63.66% | 7,369 | 27.19% | 2,479 | 9.15% |
| 1920 | 15,234 | 67.68% | 6,343 | 28.18% | 933 | 4.14% |
| 1916 | 7,831 | 53.31% | 6,391 | 43.51% | 467 | 3.18% |
| 1912 | 5,788 | 42.01% | 4,691 | 34.05% | 3,298 | 23.94% |
| 1908 | 9,699 | 58.34% | 5,789 | 34.82% | 1,136 | 6.83% |
| 1904 | 10,708 | 62.88% | 5,707 | 33.52% | 613 | 3.60% |
| 1900 | 10,328 | 59.99% | 6,330 | 36.77% | 559 | 3.25% |
| 1896 | 10,024 | 61.38% | 5,846 | 35.80% | 460 | 2.82% |
| 1892 | 8,341 | 53.95% | 5,999 | 38.80% | 1,121 | 7.25% |
| 1888 | 9,646 | 57.78% | 6,380 | 38.22% | 668 | 4.00% |
| 1884 | 9,205 | 56.62% | 6,041 | 37.16% | 1,012 | 6.22% |
| 1880 | 9,372 | 58.90% | 5,976 | 37.56% | 564 | 3.54% |
| 1876 | 8,967 | 58.91% | 6,120 | 40.21% | 134 | 0.88% |
| 1872 | 7,994 | 62.35% | 4,782 | 37.30% | 46 | 0.36% |
| 1868 | 8,261 | 62.86% | 4,880 | 37.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1864 | 7,534 | 63.09% | 4,408 | 36.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1860 | 7,922 | 66.71% | 3,954 | 33.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1856 | 7,035 | 65.28% | 1,818 | 16.87% | 1,923 | 17.85% |
| 1852 | 4,838 | 46.91% | 4,552 | 44.14% | 923 | 8.95% |
| 1848 | 4,318 | 45.99% | 1,034 | 11.01% | 4,037 | 43.00% |
| 1844 | 4,908 | 46.81% | 5,202 | 49.61% | 376 | 3.59% |
| 1840 | 5,172 | 51.17% | 4,863 | 48.12% | 72 | 0.71% |
| 1836 | 3,724 | 46.50% | 4,284 | 53.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
Cayuga County is considered a swing county in national elections. In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won Cayuga County with 50% of the vote to George W. Bush's 44%. In 2004, however, incumbent President Bush defeated John Kerry by a narrow margin of only 0.58%, or 49.22% to 48.64%. In 2008, it was won by Democrat Barack Obama, with 53% of the vote to Republican John McCain's 45%. In 2012, Obama won the county again by a slightly larger margin over Republican Mitt Romney.
However, like most of upstate New York, Cayuga County swung right in 2016. Republican Donald Trump carried it with 52.41% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 40.76%, the largest Republican vote share since 1988 and the largest margin of victory for a Republican since 1984. In 2020, Trump carried the county again, this time taking 53.49% of the vote (the largest vote share for any Republican since 1984) to Joe Biden's 44.27%. Biden became the first Democrat to win the presidency without carrying Cayuga County since Jimmy Carter in 1976.
In statewide elections it has gone for Democrats: both Eliot Spitzer and Hillary Clinton won it in 2006 with more than 60% of the vote. In 2010, Democrat Andrew Cuomo defeated Republican Carl Paladino 53% to 40% for the governorship, with 3% going to Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins. Also in 2010, both Democratic U.S. Senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, carried Cayuga County. Gillibrand won 54% of the vote, while Schumer won 61%.
The Cayuga County Legislature consists of 15 members, each of whom are elected from single-member districts.
| Voter registration as of February 21, 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | |
| Republican | 17,415 | 822 | 18,237 | 36.46% | |
| Democratic | 14,809 | 733 | 15,542 | 31.07% | |
| Unaffiliated | 11,479 | 745 | 12,224 | 24.44% | |
| Other | 3,753 | 259 | 4,012 | 8.02% | |
| Total | 47,456 | 2,559 | 50,015 | 100% | |
Communities
Larger Settlements
| # | Location | Population | Type | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Auburn | 27,687 | City | Center |
| 2 | Melrose Park | 2,294 | CDP | Center |
| 3 | Weedsport | 1,815 | Village | North |
| 4 | Port Byron | 1,290 | Village | North |
| 5 | Moravia | 1,282 | Village | South |
| 6 | Union Springs | 1,197 | Village | Center |
| 7 | Aurora | 724 | Village | South |
| 7 | Fair Haven | 724 | Village | North |
| 9 | Cayuga | 549 | Village | Center |
| 10 | Cato | 532 | Village | North |
| 11 | Meridian | 309 | Village | North |
† - County Seat
Towns
- Aurelius
- Brutus
- Cato
- Conquest
- Fleming
- Genoa
- Ira
- Ledyard
- Locke
- Mentz
- Montezuma
- Moravia
- Niles
- Owasco
- Scipio
- Sempronius
- Sennett
- Springport
- Sterling
- Summerhill
- Throop
- Venice
- Victory
Hamlets
Notable people
- Charles Bogardus (1841–1929), politician and businessman
- William H. Carpenter (1821–1885), United States Consul to Fuzhou during the American Civil War
- Adam Helmer, (c. 1754–1830), American Revolutionary War hero
- William H. Seward (1801–1872), United States Secretary of State and Governor of New York
- Harriet Tubman (1822–1913), abolitionist and social activist
- Harold Wethey (1902–1984), art historian and professor of art history at the University of Michigan
See also
- Cayuga Community College
- Cayuga County Sheriff's Office
- List of counties in New York
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Cayuga County, New York
- USS Cayuga County (LST-529)
Notes
- Included are voters affiliated with the Conservative Party, Green Party, Working Families Party, Independence Party, Women's Equality Party, Reform Party, and other small parties.
References
- "US Census 2020 Population Dataset Tables for New York". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cayuga County, New York". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- "Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary Designation Ceremony". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cayuga County, New York".
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ""'It's just a tragedy': Auburn's Ukrainian community reacts to invasion"". Auburn Pub. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- "NYSVoter Enrollment by County, Party Affiliation and Status". New York State Board of Elections. May 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
Further reading
- Sullivan, James; Williams, Melvin E.; Conklin, Edwin P.; Fitzpatrick, Benedict, eds. (1927), "Chapter V. Cayuga County.", History of New York State, 1523–1927 (PDF), vol. 2, New York City, Chicago: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., p. 727-35, hdl:2027/mdp.39015019994048, Wikidata Q114149636
External links
- Official website
- Cayuga County NYGenWeb Project
- Cayuga County history pages
- Cayuga County Sheriff
- Cayuga Community College
- Cayuga County Historical Aerial Photographs of New York , Cornell University Library & Cornell Institute for Resource Information Sciences
- Genealogy and history resources for Cayuga County
| Places adjacent to Cayuga County, New York | ||||||||||||||||
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Cayuga County, New York
| Municipalities and communities of Cayuga County, New York, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Auburn | ||
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other hamlets | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
42°56′N 76°34′W / 42.94°N 76.56°W / 42.94; -76.56
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