Parts of this article (those related to demographics) need to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (May 2020)
Town in New York, United States
Allegany is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 7,493 at the 2020 census.[4]
The Town of Allegany is on the south border of the county, west of the City of Olean. There is a village named Allegany inside this town.
The origin of the name Allegany is uncertain. It may have come from the name of a tribe called Allegewi that lived along the Allegheny River's banks. It may also be based on a Native American[clarification needed] word meaning "lovely" or "beautiful".[5]
History
The town was first settled around 1820 by Ebenezer Reed, who moved from Connecticut. The Town of Allegany was formed on April 18, 1831, as the "Town of Burton" from a part of the town of Great Valley. On March 28, 1851, the name was changed to "Allegany.".
In 1836, part of Allegany was used to form the Town of Humphrey.
A new community to be called "Allegany City" was proposed in 1837 to be built south of the Village of Allegany, but the plan was halted after a planned railroad changed its route.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 71.7 square miles (185.6 km2), of which 71.2 square miles (184 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (0.68%) is water.
The Allegheny River flows through the town. The Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86 and New York State Route 17) passes across the town. New York State Route 417 (Old State Road) parallels the Expressway, and New York State Route 16 passes through the southeast corner of the town.
The south town line is the border of McKean County, Pennsylvania.
Adjacent towns and areas
Allegany is bordered to the south by the townships of Foster and Otto in McKean County, Pennsylvania. The Towns of Hinsdale and Olean form the east boundary. Allegany shares its north boundary with the Town of Humphrey and its west boundary with the Towns of Great Valley and Carrollton.
Demographics
Historical population
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|
| 1840 | 530 | | — |
|---|
| 1850 | 1,037 | | 95.7% |
|---|
| 1860 | 2,129 | | 105.3% |
|---|
| 1870 | 2,485 | | 16.7% |
|---|
| 1880 | 4,044 | | 62.7% |
|---|
| 1890 | 3,611 | | −10.7% |
|---|
| 1900 | 3,692 | | 2.2% |
|---|
| 1910 | 3,398 | | −8.0% |
|---|
| 1920 | 3,240 | | −4.6% |
|---|
| 1930 | 3,731 | | 15.2% |
|---|
| 1940 | 3,919 | | 5.0% |
|---|
| 1950 | 5,452 | | 39.1% |
|---|
| 1960 | 6,483 | | 18.9% |
|---|
| 1970 | 7,542 | | 16.3% |
|---|
| 1980 | 8,619 | | 14.3% |
|---|
| 1990 | 8,327 | | −3.4% |
|---|
| 2000 | 8,230 | | −1.2% |
|---|
| 2010 | 8,004 | | −2.7% |
|---|
| 2020 | 7,493 | | −6.4% |
|---|
| 2016 (est.) | 7,662 | [3] | −4.3% |
|---|
|
2000 Census
At the 2000 census,[7] there were 8,230 people, 2,599 households and 1,764 families residing in the town. The population density was 115.6 per square mile (44.6/km2). There were 2,862 housing units at an average density of 40.2 per square mile (15.5/km2). The racial make-up was 96.40% White, 0.79% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.
There were 2,599 households, of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.
19.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 26.6% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median household income was $38,818 and the median family income was $45,972. Males had a median income of $36,801 and females $24,420. The per capita income was $15,667. About 3.1% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
