Cayuga County, New York

Cayuga County is a place in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the county had 76,248 people living there. The biggest city and where the government's offices are located is Auburn.

The county was named after the Cayuga people, who were part of the Native American Iroquois Confederation. Cayuga County is found in the Central New York region.

The county is part of the Auburn, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also a piece of the bigger Syracuse-Auburn, NY Combined Statistical Area.

History

When counties were first created in the Province of New York in 1683, what is now Cayuga County was part of a very large county named Albany County. Over time, this area was split into smaller counties.

Eventually, in 1799, Cayuga County was formed from part of Onondaga County. At first, it was bigger than it is today, including parts of what are now Seneca and Tompkins Counties. Later, these areas became separate counties. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many people from Europe, especially Italy and Poland, came to this area and worked on farms.

Geography

Cayuga County is located in the west central part of New York, in the Finger Lakes region. The county has a total area of 864 square miles (2,240 km²), with 692 square miles (1,790 km²) of land and 172 square miles (450 km²) of water.

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 that is not next to the Atlantic Ocean.

Demographics

2020 census

2000 Census

The 2000 census showed 81,963 people living in Cayuga County. The county had 30,558 homes, with 20,840 families. Most people were White, making up 93.34%, while 3.99% were Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.42% Asian, and smaller groups from other backgrounds. About 1.97% of people spoke Spanish or were Hispanic or Latino.

Families and homes showed different sizes. About 32.6% of homes had children under 18, and 52% were married couples living together. The average family had about 3 people, while the average home had about 2.5 people. The county's people ranged in age, with many young and middle-aged adults.

Income levels showed some families had less money. The average income for a home was $37,487, and for a family, it was $44,973. About 7.8% of families and 11.1% of all people lived below the poverty line, including many younger children. Cayuga County had the highest share of Ukrainian Americans in New York State, mostly living around Auburn.

Historical population

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%
2025 (est.)	74,365		−2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

Government and politics

Cayuga County often changes its voting patterns in big elections. In 2000, voters chose the Democratic candidate, Al Gore, but by 2004, they were very close to choosing the Republican candidate, George W. Bush. In later years, the county voted for both Democratic and Republican presidents, showing its shifting views.

In state elections, the county usually supports Democratic candidates. For example, in 2006, Democrats won with over 60% of the vote. The county also elects 15 lawmakers to represent different areas.

Communities

Cayuga County has several important places where people live. Some of these places are called towns, and others are smaller areas known as hamlets.

The towns in Cayuga County include Aurelius, Brutus, Cato, Conquest, Fleming, Genoa, Ira, Ledyard, Locke, Mentz, Montezuma, Moravia, Niles, Owasco, Scipio, Sempronius, Sennett, Springport, Sterling, Summerhill, Throop, Venice, Victory.

Some hamlets in the county are Kelloggsville, Sherwood, and Westbury.

Education

Cayuga County has many school districts where students learn and grow. Some of these districts include Auburn City School District, Hannibal Central School District, Homer Central School District, Jordan-Elbridge Central School District, Moravia Central School District, Oswego City School District, and Port Byron Central School District. Others are Cato-Meridian, Groton, Red Creek, Skaneateles, Southern Cayuga, Union Springs, and Weedsport Central School Districts. Each district offers education to the children living in its area.

Notable people

Cayuga County has been home to many famous people throughout history.

Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States, was born here. Other notable individuals include Charles Bogardus, a politician and businessman; William H. Carpenter, who served as the United States Consul to Fuzhou during the American Civil War; Adam Helmer, a hero of the American Revolutionary War; William H. Seward, who became the United States Secretary of State and Governor of New York; Harriet Tubman, an abolitionist and social activist; and Harold Wethey, an art historian and professor at the University of Michigan.