Editing Berkshire, New York

{{More citations needed|date=February 2007}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                   = Berkshire, New York
| settlement_type                 = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]]
| image_skyline                   = 
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = 
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = 
| pushpin_map                     = New York
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location within the state of New York
| image_map                       = 
| mapsize                         = 
| map_caption                     = 
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = United States
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Tioga County, New York|Tioga]]
| government_type                 = Town Board
| leader_title                    = Supervisor
| leader_name                     = Keith Flesher
| established_title               = Town
| established_date                = 1808
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_total_km2                  = 78.28
| area_land_km2                   = 78.26
| area_total_sq_mi                = 30.23
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 30.22
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_total                = 1485 {{increase}}
| timezone                        = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset                      = -5
| timezone_DST                    = EDT
| utc_offset_DST                  = -4
| elevation_footnotes             = 
| elevation_m                     = 315
| elevation_ft                    = 1033
| coordinates                     = {{coord|42|18|14|N|76|11|07|W|region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code                     = 13736
| area_code                       = [[Area code 607|607]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 36-06145
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 0978726
| website                         = http://www.berkshireny.net/town-government.html
| pop_est_as_of                   = 2016
| pop_est_footnotes               = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021">{{cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=October 9, 2022}}</ref>
| population_est                  = 1474
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2016">{{cite web|title=2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_36.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 5, 2017}}</ref>
| area_water_km2                  = 0.02
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.01
| population_density_sq_mi        = 44.58
| population_density_km2          = 17.21
| name                            = 
}}
'''Berkshire''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in [[Tioga County, New York|Tioga County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,485.<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/> The town is named after [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire County]], [[Massachusetts]].

The '''Town of Berkshire''' is in the northeastern part of the county and is northwest of [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]] and southeast of [[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca]].

==History==
Purchase rights to the Native American lands in the area were awarded to the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]] as part of the [[Boston Ten Townships]], by the [[Treaty of Hartford (1786)|Treaty of Hartford]] in 1786. (New York retained the right to govern the land.) Massachusetts sold these rights to private individuals in 1788.

The first settlers arrived around 1791. It was originally called "Browns Settlement."

The Town of Berkshire was established in 1808 from the [[Union, New York|Town of Union]] while in [[Broome County, New York|Broome County]]. In 1822, Berkshire was made part of Tioga County. The [[Newark Valley (town), New York|Town of Newark Valley]], as the "Town of Westfield," was created from part of Berkshire in 1828. An additional part of Berkshire was lost in 1831, to found the [[Richford, New York|Town of Richford]], then called "Arlington."

Within the confines of Berkshire, the [[Lyman P. Akins House]], [[Levi Ball House]], [[Belcher Family Homestead and Farm]], [[Deodatus Royce House]], the [[J. Ball House]], and the [[J. B. Royce House and Farm Complex]], are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|30.2|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|30.2|sqmi|km2}}  is land and 0.03% is water.

The eastern town line of Berkshire is the border of [[Broome County, New York|Broome County]], and part of the western town line is the border of [[Tompkins County, New York|Tompkins County]].

[[New York State Route 38]] is a north–south highway in the town.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 1502
|1830= 1683
|1840= 956
|1850= 1049
|1860= 1151
|1870= 1240
|1880= 1304
|1890= 1160
|1900= 1011
|1910= 846
|1920= 805
|1930= 771
|1940= 861
|1950= 912
|1960= 953
|1970= 1098
|1980= 1335
|1990= 1303
|2000= 1366
|2010= 1412
|2020= 1485
|estyear=2021
|estimate=1474
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the 2000 [[census]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there were 1,366 people, 506 households, and 384 families in the town. The population density was {{convert|45.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 561 housing units at an average density of {{convert|18.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.76% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.37% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.44% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.07% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.37% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.37% of the population.

There were 506 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,625, and the median income for a family was $43,676. Males had a median income of $29,620 versus $22,865 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $16,735.  About 6.5% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Communities and locations in the Town of Berkshire==
*'''Berkshire''' &ndash; The [[Hamlet (place)|hamlet]] of Berkshire is located where County Roads 8, 10, and  NY-38 converge. The community is in the center of the town and was first settled ''circa'' 1795. The [[Robert Akins House]], [[J. Ball House]], [[Stephen Ball House]], [[Calvin A. Buffington House]], [[First Congregational Church (Berkshire, New York)|First Congregational Church]], [[Lebbeus Ford House]], [[Nathaniel Bishop Collins House]], and [[Berkshire Village Historic District]] are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nris"/>
*'''East Berkshire''' &ndash; A hamlet east of Berkshire village on County Road 10. The [[East Berkshire United Methodist Church]] was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.<ref name="nris"/>
*'''Wilson Creek''' &ndash; A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town, named after a nearby stream.

==References==
{{portal|New York (state)}}
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://www.berkshireny.com/  The Town of Berkshire]
* [http://history.rays-place.com/ny/berkshire-ny.htm  Berkshire history]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060831020439/http://www.tiogacountyny.com/towns_villages/berkshire.php  Information about Berkshire, NY]

{{Tioga County, New York}}

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[[Category:Binghamton metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Towns in Tioga County, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]