Introduction This is the fourteenth edition of Profiles of New York State—Facts, Figures & Statistics for 2,570 Populated Places in New York. As with the other titles in our State Profiles series, it was built with content from Grey House Publishing’s award-winning Profiles of America—a 4-volume compilation of data on more than 43,000 places in the United States. We have included the New York chapter from Profiles of America, and added several new chapters of demographic information and ranking sections, so that Profiles of New York State is the most comprehensive portrait of the state of New York ever published. Profiles of New York State provides data on all populated communities and counties in the state of New York for which the US Census provides individual statistics. This edition also includes profiles of 444 unincorporated places and neighborhoods (i.e. Flushing, Queens) based on US Census data by zip code. This premier reference work includes five major sections that cover everything from Education to Ethnic Backgrounds to Climate. All sections include Comparative Statistics or Rankings. A section called About New York at the front of the book includes detailed narrative and colorful photos and maps. Here is an overview of each section: 1. About New York This 4-color section gives the researcher a real sense of the state and its history. It includes a Photo Gallery, and comprehensive sections on New York’s Government, Timeline of New York History, Land and Natural Resources, New York State Energy Profile and Demographic Maps. These 42 pages, with the help of photos, maps and charts, anchor the researcher to the state, both physically and politically. 2. Profiles This section, organized by county, gives detailed profiles of 2,570 places plus 62 counties, based on Census 2010 and data from the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. In addition, we have added current government statistics and original research, so that these profiles pull together statistical and descriptive information on every Census-recognized place in the state. Major fields of information include: Geography Housing Education Religion Ancestry Transportation Population Climate Economy Industry Health In addition to place and county profiles, this section includes a Place Name Index. 3. Comparative Statistics This section includes tables that compare New York’s 100 largest communities by dozens of data points. 4. Community Rankings This section includes tables that rank the top 150 and bottom 150 incorporated communities with population over 2,500, in dozens of categories. 5. Education This section begins with an Educational State Profile, summarizing number of schools, students, diplomas granted and educational dollars spent. Following the state profile are School District Rankings on 16 topics ranging from Teacher/Student Ratios to High School Drop-Out Rates. Following these rankings are statewide National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results and data from the New York State Report Card—an overview of student performance by subject, including easy-to-read charts and graphs. 6. Ancestry and Ethnicity This section provides a detailed look at the ancestral, Hispanic and racial makeup of New York’s 200+ ethnic categories. Data is ranked three ways: 1) by number, based on all places regardless of population; 2) by percent, based on all places regardless of population; 3) by percent, based on places with populations of 50,000 or more. You will discover, for example, that Rochester has the greatest number of Laotians in the state (668), and that 13.5% of the population of Harbor Hills are of Armenian ancestry. viii Introduction Profiles of New York State 7. Climate This section includes a State Summary, colorful maps, and profiles of both National and Cooperative Weather Stations. In addition, you’ll find Weather Station Rankings with hundreds of interesting details, such as Boonville 2 SSW reporting the highest annual snowfall with 197.5 inches. This section also includes Significant Storm Event data from January 2000 through December 2009. Here you will learn that a flash flood caused $250 million in property damage in Delaware County in June 2006 and that excessive heat was responsible for 42 deaths in Southeast New York state in August 2006. Note: The extensive User Guide that follows About New York is segmented into four sections and examines, in some detail, each data field in the individual profiles and comparative sections for all chapters. It provides sources for all data points and statistical definitions as necessary. Profiles of New York State Key Facts and State Emblems 3 Governor ..........Andrew M. Cuomo (D) Lt Governor ........Kathleen Courtney “Kathy” Hochul (D) State Capital ............Albany Date of Statehood ........July 26, 1788 (11th state) State Nickname ..........TheEmpire State Demonym ..............NewYorker Largest City.............NewYork Highest Point............Mount Marcy (5,344 feet) Lowest Point ............Atlantic Ocean (sea level) Time Zone..............Eastern State Beverage ..........2%Milk State Bird ..............Eastern bluebird (sialia sialis) State Bush ..............Lilac bush (syringa vulgaris) State Butterfly ...........Red-spotted purple/White admiral (limenitis arthemis) State Fish, fresh water.....Brook trout (salvelinus fontinalis) State Fish, salt water ......Striped bass (morone saxatilis) State Flower ............Rose State Fossil .............Seascorpion (eurypterus remipes) State Fruit ..............Apple State Gem ..............Garnet State Insect .............Nine-spotted ladybug (coccinella novemnotata) State Mammal ...........Beaver (castor canadensis) State Motto .............Excelsior (Ever upward) State Muffin ............Apple (genus malus) State Reptile ............Common snapping turtle (chelydra serpentina) State Shell ..............Bayscallop (argopecten irradians) State Slogan ............I© NYÒ State Song ..............ILove New York (words and music by Steve Karmen) State Tree ..............Sugar maple (acer saccharum) 0 mi 200 400 600 800 1000 Copyright © 1988-2003 Microsoft Corp. and/or its suppliers. All rights reserved. http://www.microsoft.com/mappoint © Copyright 2002 by Geographic Data Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2002 Navigation Technologies. All rights reserved. This data includes information taken with permission from Canadian authorities © 1991-2002 Government of Canada (Statistics Canada and/or Geomatics Canada), all rights reserved. 4 Profiles of New York State Grand Central Terminal in New York City, top, opened in 1871 and was rebuilt in 1913. It serves commuters in New York and Connecticut, and connects to the NYC subway. With intricate designs inside and out, it is a National Monument with nearly 22 million visitors a year. Covering 48 acres, it has 44 platforms, the most of any railroad station worldwide. Liberty Island overlooking the Manhattan skyline, bottom, comprises 14.7 acres and is best known as the location of the Statue of Liberty. In 2016, it had a record 4.5 million visitors. Profiles of New York State A Brief History of New York State 11 A Brief History of New York State New York harbor was visited by Verrazano in 1524, and the Hudson River was first explored by Henry Hudson in 1609. The Dutch settled here permanently in 1624 and for 40 years they ruled over the colony of New Netherland. It was conquered by the English in 1664 and was then named New York in honor of the Duke of York. Existing as a colony of Great Britain for over a century, New York declared its independence on July 9, 1776, becoming one of the original 13 states of the Federal Union. The next year, on April 20, 1777, New York's first constitution was adopted. In many ways, New York State was the principal battleground of the Revolutionary War. The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the Revolution leading to the French alliance and eventual victory. New York City, long occupied by British troops, was evacuated on November 25, 1783 where, on December 4 at Fraunces Tavern, General George Washington bade farewell to his officers. During the Revolutionary War, an election for the first governor took place and George Clinton was inaugurated as Governor at Kingston, July 30, 1777. New York City became the first capital of the new nation, where President George Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789. Albany became the capital of the State in January 1797. In following years, New York's economic and industrial growth encouraged the title “The Empire State,” an expression possibly originated by George Washington in 1784. The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, greatly enhanced the importance of the port of New York and caused populous towns and cities to spring up across the state. The Erie Canal was replaced by the Barge Canal in 1918, and the system of waterways was further expanded by the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Overland transportation grew rapidly from a system of turnpikes established in the early 1880s to the modern day Governor Thomas E. Dewey New York State Thruway. By 1853, railroads crossed the state in systems like the Erie and New York Central. Located in New York harbor, the Statue of Liberty was formally presented to the U.S. Minister to France, Levi Parsons on July 4, 1884 by Ferdinand Lesseps, representing the Franco-American Union. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 1886, when the last rivet was put into place. Its famous inscription, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” was the first symbol of America's mission. The international character of New York City, the principal port for overseas commerce, and later for transcontinental and international airways, has been further enhanced by becoming the home of the United Nations, capital of the free world. Here the people of all nations and races come to discuss and try to solve the world's problems in a free and democratic climate. As one of the wealthiest states, New York made tremendous strides in industry and commerce. The New York Stock Exchange, founded in 1792, has become the center of world finance.