Schenectady County, New York

Schenectady County is a place in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, it was home to 158,061 people. The main city, called the county seat, is Schenectady. The name "Schenectady" comes from a Mohawk language word that means "on the other side of the pine lands." Originally, this term was used to describe the city of Albany.

The county is found in the Capital District area of New York. It is part of the larger Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geographically, Schenectady County lies west of where the Mohawk River meets the Hudson River. The county includes land on both the north and south sides of the Mohawk River.

History

This area of the river valley was home to the Mohawk people, one of the five groups that made up the Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee. They grew maize in the flat lands along the Mohawk River and lived in villages on the hills.

European settlers, mostly Dutch, arrived in the 1600s and founded the village of Schenectady in 1661. The fur traders in Albany controlled the trade and did not allow Schenectady traders, so many people became farmers instead. When the English took control in 1664, they kept the trading rules the same.

Over time, the area changed from being part of large Albany County to its own Schenectady County in 1809. The city of Schenectady became the county seat. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many people from Ireland, Italy, and Poland moved to the area for jobs in factories. The city grew into an important place for inventions and big companies like General Electric.

The city had the most people living there in 1930, but the whole county had the most people in 1970. Later, many factory jobs disappeared, and some people left the city, though others stayed and found work elsewhere in the county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Schenectady County has a total area of 209 square miles (540 km²), with 205 square miles (530 km²) being land and 4.9 square miles (13 km²) being water. It is located in east central New York State, northwest of Albany, in an area known as "Upstate".

The county shares borders with several other counties: Saratoga County to the northeast, Albany County to the southeast, Schoharie County to the southwest, and Montgomery County to the west.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

In 2010, there were 154,727 people living in Schenectady County. The population was spread out with about a quarter under 18 years old, nearly 8% between 18 and 24, and over a third aged 65 or older.

Most people spoke English at home, and many had Italian, Irish, or German ancestry. The median income for families was around $57,670, though some families lived below the poverty line.

Government and politics

Voters in Schenectady County have often supported Democratic candidates since the mid-20th century. They have given small to moderate leads to Democrats since 1988 in presidential elections. The congressman Paul Tonko is a Democrat. Schenectady County is a statewide bellwether in presidential elections, as it has voted for the statewide presidential winner in every presidential election since 1980. Legislative authority is vested in the County Legislature, which consists of 15 members representing 8 communities, separated into four districts. The current composition of the Legislature includes Democrats, Republicans, and Conservatives who work together with the Democrats.

Schenectady County changed its government in 1966 when voters approved a new county charter. A board of representatives replaced the old county supervisors, and in 1987, this was changed to a 15-member legislature. The legislature hires a county manager to oversee daily government operations.

The county runs the Schenectady County Public Library (SCPL), which has a central library and eight branches.

Communities

Schenectady County has several places where people live. Some of the bigger settlements are important spots in the county. The county seat, where the main government offices are, is marked with a symbol.

The county includes several towns such as Duanesburg, Glenville, Niskayuna, Princetown, and Rotterdam.

There are also smaller communities called hamlets, including places like Alplaus, Aqueduct, and Quaker Street.