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Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of 2013, the population was 749,606.[1] Its county seat is the city of Rochester.[2] The county is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America.
Monroe County is part of the Rochester, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area. Monroe County is located in Western New York.
When counties were established in the Province of New York in 1683, the present Monroe 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 further 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 Montgomery County in order 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.
In 1789, Ontario County was split off from Montgomery. The actual area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, also including the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Steuben, Wyoming, Yates, and part of Schuyler and Wayne counties.
Genesee County was created by a splitting of Ontario County in 1802. This was much larger than the present Genesee County, however. It contained the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming, and portions of Livingston and Monroe counties.
Finally, Monroe County was formed from parts of Genesee and Ontario counties in 1821.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,366 square miles (3,540 km2), of which 659 square miles (1,710 km2) is land and 706 square miles (1,830 km2) (51.72%) is water.[3]
Monroe County is in the northern tier of western New York State, northeast of Buffalo and northwest of Syracuse. The northern county line is also the state line and the border of the United States, marked by Lake Ontario. Monroe County is north of the Finger Lakes.
Monroe County was chartered as a municipal corporation by the New York State Legislature in 1892[4] and re-chartered under New York's Municipal Home Rule Law in 1965.[5]
The county's executive branch is headed by the County Executive, Maggie Brooks.[6] The executive's office is located on the first floor of the County Office Building on West Main Street in Rochester.
The county was exclusively governed by a Board of Supervisors for the first 114 years of its history. In 1935, the position of County Manager, appointed by the Board, was approved by popular referendum.[7] In 1983, the position was replaced by a County Executive, directly elected by popular vote, with expanded powers (e.g., veto).[8] In 1993, the legislature enacted term limits for the executive office of 12 consecutive years to start in 1996.[9]
The county's legislative branch consists of a 29-member County Legislature which replaced the earlier 43-member Board of Supervisors on January 1, 1967.[10] It meets in the Legislative Chambers on the fourth floor of the County Office Building. All 29 members of the legislature are elected from districts. District Maps Currently, there are 19 Republicans and 10 Democrats. In 1993, the legislature enacted term limits of 10 consecutive years to start in 1996.[11]
Monroe County is part of
Monroe County is a home to a number of international businesses, including Eastman Kodak,[27] Bausch & Lomb,[28] Paychex,[29] and Pictometry International,[30] all of which make Monroe County world headquarters. Xerox, while no longer headquartered in Rochester, has its principal offices and manufacturing facilities in Monroe County.
Because of the prevalence of imaging and optical science among the industry and the universities, Rochester is known as the world capital of imaging. The University of Rochester's Institute of Optics doctoral program was ranked in 2004 as number one in the country by the National Research Council in number of publications published per faculty member.[31]
Monroe County is also home to regional businesses such as Wegmans,[32] Roberts Communications, Inc.,[33] PAETEC Holding Corp.,[34] and major fashion label Hickey Freeman.[35]
As of the census of 2000, there were 735,343 people, 286,512 households, and 184,513 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,115 people per square mile (431/km²). There were 304,388 housing units at an average density of 462 per square mile (178/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.14% White, 13.75% African American, 0.27% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.44% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.31% of the population. 18.6% were of Italian, 15.3% German, 11.3% Irish and 8.3% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 4.64% of the population reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.43% speak Italian.[37]
There were 286,512 households out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.40% were married couples living together, 13.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.60% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.60% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,891, and the median income for a family was $55,900. Males had a median income of $41,279 versus $29,553 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,821. About 8.20% of families and 11.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.50% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.
The overwhelming majority of children in Monroe County are educated by the public school system. The schools operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester or Roman Catholic religious orders educate the next largest segment of children, although collectively, these are a distant second.
There are some 26 public school districts that serve Monroe County, including the Rochester City School District, 10 suburban school districts in Monroe #1 BOCES, seven in Monroe #2–Orleans BOCES, and several primarily serving other counties (Avon, Byron–Bergen, Caledonia–Mumford, Holley, Wayne, Williamson and Victor central school districts).[38]
There are three private schools that serve more than 200 students each:
There is one small, but historically significant school: Rochester School for the Deaf in the city
The county is home to nine colleges and universities:
Additionally, four colleges maintain satellite campuses in Monroe County:
Dick Kaplan announced his resignation as CEO of Pictometry International Corp., the Henrietta-based aerial imaging firm that he has built into one of the Rochester area’s better-known companies.
PAETEC Holding Corp. is edging closer to — but still falling short of — profitability. The Perinton-based telecommunications company reported a loss of $7.5 million for the quarter that ended June 30, an improvement from the $16.5 million it lost in the same quarter a year earlier and from the $9.5 million it lost in the January–March quarter this year.
Democratic Party (United States), New York City, University of Rochester, Genesee River, New York
New York, Livingston County, New York, Wyoming County, New York, Erie County, New York, Monroe County, New York
Allegany County, New York, Monroe County, New York, Genesee County, New York, Wyoming County, New York, New York
Niagara County, New York, Monroe County, New York, New York, Erie County, New York, Ontario County, New York
New York City, Long Island, Albany, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Finger Lakes, Capital District, Erie County, New York, Buffalo Niagara Region, Westchester County, New York
Ontario County, New York, Monroe County, New York, Seneca County, New York, New York, Lake Ontario
Livingston County, New York, Monroe County, New York, Steuben County, New York, Yates County, New York, Wayne County, New York
Monroe County, New York, New York State Route 360, Lake Ontario, Hamlin, New York, Hamlin Beach State Park