When counties were established in New York State in 1683, the present Yates County was part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State as well as 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 again 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 honor 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.
On March 18, 1796, 1,800 square miles (4,700km2) of Ontario County was partitioned to form Steuben County.
On April 3, 1801, Ontario County exchanged land with Cayuga County, and lost 190 square miles (490km2) as a result.
On March 30, 1802, Ontario County lost 6,540 square miles (16,940km2) of land through the partition of Genesee County, including the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties and parts of Livingston and Monroe counties.
In 1821, Ontario County was reduced in size by combining portions of Genesee and Ontario counties to create Livingston and Monroe counties.
On January 1, 1826, 60 square miles (160km2) of Steuben County was partitioned and added to Yates, which included Starkey, Dundee, and Lakemont, New York.[4]
Historical Map of Yates County, 1855
On April 15, 1828, 10 square miles (26km2) was partitioned from Yates, and passed to Seneca and Tompkins counties, mostly in the forest.[5]
On March 17, 1860, Ontario County was authorized to gain land from Yates, but it was never put into effect.[6]
On April 18, 1946, Yates gained 10 square miles (26km2) from Schuyler and Seneca counties, which produced the current borders of Yates County.[7]
In 1974 a new Mennonite settlement was started in Yates County. It grew quickly and steadily and with a population of more than 3,000 in 2015 it was almost as large as the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania settlement.[9]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 376 square miles (970km2), of which 338 square miles (880km2) is land and 38 square miles (98km2) (10%) is water.[10]
Yates County is in the western part of New York State, northwest of Ithaca and southeast of Rochester. It is in the Finger Lakes Region.
U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[15] 2010-2020[1]2020-2030 [16]
2020 census
Yates 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.
As of the census[27] of 2000, there were 24,621 people, 9,029 households, and 6,284 families residing in the county. The population density was 73 peopleper square mile (28 people/km2). There were 12,064 housing units at an average density of 36 unitsper square mile (14/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.90% White, 0.56% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population. 21.3% were of English, 16.5% German, 11.4% Irish, 10.7% American, 5.3% Danish and 5.3% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 9,029 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.70% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 24.70% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,640, and the median income for a family was $40,681. Males had a median income of $29,671 versus $21,566 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,781. About 8.90% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.90% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.
Yates Transit Service provides bus service to Yates County.[31] The county's Highway Department is headquartered in Penn Yan and is charged with maintaining roads, including:[32]
Overseeing road construction and repair
Issuing special permits for hauling, driveway installation and replacement, and installation of non-standard and supplemental signs
Removing snow and ice
Each town and village within Yates County maintains its own highway department.
Yates County has been a Republican bastion, voting for a Democrat only twice since 1856. Although Mitt Romney won the county by only 3.3% in 2012, Donald Trump had won the county by a decisive 19.9% in 2016. In 2020, however, Trump won by a slightly lower margin, of 18.5%. In 2024, Trump won again, but by a reduced margin of 15.9%, bucking the national trend.
United States presidential election results for Yates County, New York[33]
↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
↑ New York. Laws of New York.1823, 46th Session, Chapter 30, Section 1; Page 21
↑ New York. Laws of New York.1824, 47th Session, Chapter 171; Page 182
↑ New York. Revised Statutes of the State of New York, Passed during the years 1827 and 1828; 3 Volumes; Albany, New York.1829; Volume 3;Pages 14–15
↑ New York. Laws of New York.1860, 83rd Session, Chapter 76; Page 120
↑ New York. Laws of New York.1946, 169th Session, Chapter 901; Page 1686
↑ Cleveland,S.C. (1873).History and Directory of Yates County: Containing a Sketch of Its Original Settlement by the Public Universal Friends, the Lessee Company and Others, with an Account of Individual Pioneers and Their Families; Also, of Other Leading Citizens, Including Church, School, and Civil History, and a Narrative of the Universal Friend.
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