Tioga County, New York

Tioga County is a place in the U.S. state of New York. It had a population of 48,455 people as of the 2020 census. The main town, called the county seat, is Owego. Tioga County is part of a bigger area known as the Binghamton metropolitan area, and it lies in the Southern Tier region of New York.

The name "Tioga" comes from the Iroquois words De-yoh-ho-gah, which mean "at the forks" or "where it forks." This name reflects the area's history and its location near important waterways.

History

Before 1789, the land that is now Tioga County was part of Montgomery County. In 1789, as more people moved into the area, Ontario County was created from part of Montgomery County. This new county was much larger than it is today and included many areas that are now separate counties.

Tioga County was created in 1791 from part of Montgomery County. At first, it was a large area that included what are now Broome and Chemung counties, as well as parts of Chenango and Schuyler counties. Over time, Tioga County got smaller. In 1798, Chemung County was created from part of Tioga County, and Chenango County was also formed. Then, in 1806, Broome County was split off from Tioga County.

Geography

Tioga County is in southwest New York State, west of Binghamton and north of the border with Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River begins its journey into Pennsylvania from this area. It is part of New York's Southern Tier region.

The county covers a total area of 523 square miles (1,350 km²), with 519 square miles (1,340 km²) of land and 4.3 square miles (11 km²) of water. Its highest point is an unnamed hill in the northern corner that reaches 1,994 feet (608 m), while the lowest point is 720 feet (220 m) where the Susquehanna River flows into Pennsylvania.

Adjacent counties

Cortland County - northeast
Broome County - east
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania - southeast
Bradford County, Pennsylvania - south
Chemung County - west
Tompkins County - northwest

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the median household income in Tioga County was $62,400. In 2024, this number rose to $72,739 according to the American Community Survey.

2010

In 2010, there were 51,125 people living in Tioga County. Most of the people, about 96.9%, were White. Smaller groups included African American, Native American, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino people.

2000

In 2000, the county had 51,784 people. The largest groups were German, English, Irish, and Italian. Most people spoke English at home. The median income for a family was $46,509, and about 8.4% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	7,109	—
1810	7,899	11.1%
1820	16,971	114.8%
1830	27,690	63.2%
1840	20,527	−25.9%
1850	24,880	21.2%
1860	28,748	15.5%
1870	30,572	6.3%
1880	32,673	6.9%
1890	29,935	−8.4%
1900	27,951	−6.6%
1910	25,624	−8.3%
1920	24,212	−5.5%
1930	25,480	5.2%
1940	27,072	6.2%
1950	30,166	11.4%
1960	37,802	25.3%
1970	46,513	23.0%
1980	49,812	7.1%
1990	52,337	5.1%
2000	51,784	−1.1%
2010	51,125	−1.3%
2020	48,455	−5.2%
2025 (est.)	47,453	−2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

**Tioga County, New York – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1980	Pop 1990	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 1980	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	48,997	51,256	50,180	49,105	44,195	98.36%	97.93%	96.90%	96.05%	91.21%
Black or African American alone (NH)	277	298	270	349	434	0.56%	0.57%	0.52%	0.68%	0.90%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	60	91	93	73	62	0.12%	0.17%	0.18%	0.14%	0.13%
Asian alone (NH)	204	305	295	371	370	0.41%	0.58%	0.57%	0.73%	0.76%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	x	x	7	12	12	x	x	0.01%	0.02%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	10	20	31	26	158	0.02%	0.04%	0.06%	0.05%	0.33%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	x	x	399	495	2,107	x	x	0.77%	0.97%	4.35%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	264	367	509	694	1,117	0.53%	0.70%	0.98%	1.36%	2.31%
Total	49,812	52,337	51,784	51,125	48,455	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Communities

Tioga County has several places where people live, including villages, towns, and a hamlet. One of the important towns is Owego, which is the county seat.

The towns in Tioga County are Barton, Berkshire, Candor, Newark Valley, Nichols, Owego, Richford, Spencer, and Tioga. There is also a hamlet called Lounsberry.


#	Location	Population	Type
1	Waverly	3,382	Village
2	Owego†	2,632	Village
3	Apalachin	2,115	CDP
4	Tioga Terrace	2,082	CDP
5	Crest View Heights	1,770	CDP
6	Newark Valley	928	Village
7	Candor	786	Village
8	Spencer	719	Village
9	Nichols	457	Village

Politics

Tioga County is a place in the state of New York. It is one of the many areas that help make up the government of the state. People in Tioga County have a say in how things are run, just like in other places. They choose leaders to represent them and help decide important matters for the community.

Education

Tioga County, New York, has many school districts where students go to learn and grow. Some of these school districts include Candor Central School District, Ithaca City School District, Owego Apalachin Central School District, Tioga Central School District, Union-Endicott Central School District, Vestal Central School District, and Waverly Central School District, among others. These schools provide education for children in the area.

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census

2010

2000

Communities

Politics

Education

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