Editing Otsego County, New York

{{Short description|County in New York, United States}}
{{distinguish|Oswego County, New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Otsego County
 | state                = New York
 | type                 = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
 | flag                 = Flag of Otsego County, New York.jpg
 | seal                 = Seal of Otsego County, New York.jpg
 | founded              = February 16, 1791
 | seat wl              = Cooperstown
 | largest city wl      = Oneonta
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 1016
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 1002
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 14
 | area percentage      = 1.4
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 58524<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Population%20Total&g=0400000US36%240500000&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29|access-date=January 2, 2022|title=US Census 2020 Population Dataset Tables for New York|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
 | density_sq_mi        = 58.4
 | web                  = www.otsegocounty.com
 | ex image             = Otsego_County_Bank_Building_19_Main_Street_Cooperstown.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Original Otsego County Bank, in [[Cooperstown]]
 | district             = 19th
 | district2            = 21st
 | time zone            = Eastern
}}

'''Otsego County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[New York (state)|New York]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 58,524.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Otsego County, New York|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/otsegocountynewyork/PST120221|access-date=January 2, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Cooperstown, New York|Cooperstown]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The county's population center is [[Oneonta, New York|Oneonta]]. The name ''Otsego'' is from a [[Mohawk language|Mohawk]] or [[Oneida language|Oneida]] word meaning "place of the rock."<ref name=Beauchamp_1907>{{cite book |last1=Beauchamp |first1=William Martin |title=Aboriginal Place Names of New York (New York State Museum Bulletin, Volume 108) |date=1907 |publisher=New York State Education Department |page=174 |isbn=9781404751552 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MBQTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA174 |access-date=August 12, 2015}}</ref> The county is part of the [[Mohawk Valley]] region of the state.

==History==
{{See also|Montgomery County, New York}}

[[Image:Otsego County 1791.png|thumb|right|220px|Map of Otsego County, at its formation]]
[[Image:Simeon DeWitt Otsego County NY c.1792.png|thumb|right|220px|Map of Otsego County, New York, by [[Simeon De Witt]] c. 1792-1793]]
[[Image:Otsego County NY 1829.png|thumb|right|220px|1829 map of Otsego County, New York]]

In 1789, [[Ontario County, New York|Ontario County]] was split off from Montgomery. The area split off from [[Montgomery County, New York|Montgomery County]] was much larger than the present county, as it included the present [[Allegany County, New York|Allegany]], [[Cattaraugus County, New York|Cattaraugus]], [[Chautauqua County, New York|Chautauqua]], [[Erie County, New York|Erie]], [[Genesee County, New York|Genesee]], [[Livingston County, New York|Livingston]], [[Monroe County, New York|Monroe]], [[Niagara County, New York|Niagara]], [[Orleans County, New York|Orleans]], [[Steuben County, New York|Steuben]], [[Wyoming County, New York|Wyoming]], [[Yates County, New York|Yates]], and part of [[Schuyler County, New York|Schuyler]] and [[Wayne County, New York|Wayne counties]].

===Formation===
Otsego County was one of three early counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being [[Herkimer County, New York|Herkimer]] and [[Tioga County, New York|Tioga]]) after the American Revolutionary War. Otsego County was officially established on February 16, 1791, with [[Cooperstown, New York|Cooperstown]] as its county seat. The original county consisted of three large [[townships]]:
* [[Cherry Valley, New York|Cherry Valley]] in the northeast,
* [[Otsego, New York|Otsego]] in the northwest, and
* [[Harpersfield, New York|Harpersfield]] in the south.

Otsego and Cherry Valley together roughly covered the area of modern Otsego County, while Harpersfield covered the area south of the current county as far as the [[Delaware River]].

[[George Clinton (vice president)|Governor George Clinton]] made the original appointments to Otsego County government positions, including:
* Richard R. Smith, county sheriff, from Otsego township,
* Jacob Morris, county clerk, from Otsego township,
* [[William Cooper (judge)|William Cooper]], chief judge, founder of Cooperstown and from Otsego township,
* [[Jedediah Peck]], associate justice from Otsego township,
* Edward Griswold, associate justice from Cherry Valley
* Platt Townsend, associate justice from Harpersfield,
* Alexander Harper, commander of the county militia, from Harpersfield.

===New towns===
By 1793, four towns had been added to the county by division of the existing towns:
* The Otsego township had been divided into the towns of:
** [[Burlington, New York|Burlington]] in the west,
** [[Otsego, New York|Otsego]] in the northeast,
** [[Richfield, New York|Richfield]] in the north, and
** [[Unadilla (town), New York|Unadilla]] in the south.
* Harpersfield had been divided into the towns of:
** [[Franklin (town), New York|Franklin]] in the west and
** [[Harpersfield, New York|Harpersfield]] in the east.

In 1795, a piece of Otsego County was joined with a portion taken from [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]] to create [[Schoharie County, New York|Schoharie County]].

In 1797, a piece of Otsego County was joined with a portion taken from [[Ulster County, New York|Ulster County]] to create [[Delaware County, New York|Delaware County]].

In 1843, [[Otsego County, Michigan]] was named after the county in New York.<ref>https://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan/public/michigan/county-guides/guides/otsego</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|1016|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1002|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|14|sqmi}} (1.4%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_36.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 6, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519062322/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_36.txt|archive-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref>

Otsego County is in central New York State, to the west of [[Albany, New York|Albany]], southeast of [[Utica, New York|Utica]], and northeast of [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]]. The county is part of the [[Central New York Region]] and [[Mohawk Valley region|Mohawk Valley Region]] of New York State. The county is considered by some to belong to the [[Southern Tier]] region of New York State, and is the northernmost county of the [[Appalachian Region]].

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Herkimer County, New York|Herkimer County]] - north
* [[Montgomery County, New York|Montgomery County]] - northeast
* [[Schoharie County, New York|Schoharie County]] - east
* [[Delaware County, New York|Delaware County]] - south
* [[Chenango County, New York|Chenango County]] - southwest
* [[Oneida County, New York|Oneida County]] - northwest
* [[Madison County, New York|Madison County]] - northwest
{{clear}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1800= 21343
|1810= 38802
|1820= 44856
|1830= 51372
|1840= 49628
|1850= 48638
|1860= 50157
|1870= 48967
|1880= 51397
|1890= 50861
|1900= 48939
|1910= 47216
|1920= 46200
|1930= 46710
|1940= 46082
|1950= 50763
|1960= 51942
|1970= 56181
|1980= 59075
|1990= 60517
|2000= 61676
|2010= 62259
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ny190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="QF"/>
|2020=58524}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 61,676 people, 23,291 households, and 15,115 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|62|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 28,481 housing units at an average density of {{convert|28|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.80% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.75% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.23% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.63% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.05% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.50% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.05% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.90% of the population. 15.0% were of [[Irish people|Irish]], 14.9% [[English people|English]], 14.9% [[Germans|German]], 11.3% [[Italian people|Italian]] and 9.1% [[United States|American]] ancestry according to [[Census 2000]]. 95.4% spoke [[English language|English]] and 2.1% [[Spanish language|Spanish]] as their first language.

There were 23,291 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 27.00% 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 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 14.40% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,444, and the median income for a family was $41,110. Males had a median income of $29,988 versus $22,609 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $16,806. About 8.80% of families and 14.90% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.80% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.

=== 2020 census ===

{| class="wikitable"
|+Otsego County racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title =P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Otsego County, New York|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Otsego%20County,%20New%20York&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (NH)
|51,490
|88%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (NH)
|1,189
|2.03%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]] (NH)
|109
|0.2%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]] (NH)
|813
|1.4%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|7
|0.01%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]] (NH)
|2,524
|4.31%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|2,392
|4.1%
|}

==Government and politics==
{{PresHead|place=Otsego County, New York|whig=yes|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=October 24, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|15,256|13,031|305|New York}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|14,382|12,975|723|New York}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|13,308|10,451|1,909|New York}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|11,461|12,117|561|New York}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|12,026|13,570|525|New York}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|13,342|12,723|587|New York}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|12,219|11,460|1,679|New York}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|8,774|11,470|3,882|New York}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|10,141|10,471|5,994|New York}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|13,021|11,069|245|New York}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|16,777|9,582|152|New York}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|11,814|8,795|3,298|New York}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|14,796|9,787|171|New York}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|17,364|7,898|59|New York}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|13,543|7,981|1,172|New York}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|8,643|15,190|26|New York}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|17,422|7,899|26|New York}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|19,484|5,644|0|New York}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|20,304|6,115|27|New York}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|15,437|7,174|586|New York}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|15,427|7,849|37|New York}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|16,771|7,798|78|New York}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|16,682|7,807|276|New York}}
{{PresRow|1932|Republican|14,904|8,114|247|New York}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|18,286|6,006|314|New York}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|13,573|5,841|1,256|New York}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|12,112|6,275|574|New York}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|5,926|5,975|403|New York}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|5,138|5,338|2,165|New York}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|7,459|5,975|543|New York}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|7,770|5,725|519|New York}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|7,893|6,142|359|New York}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|8,161|5,820|496|New York}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|7,095|6,408|833|New York}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|7,829|6,972|565|New York}}
{{PresRow|1884|Democratic|6,871|8,307|516|New York}}
{{PresRow|1880|Democratic|7,156|7,184|235|New York}}
{{PresRow|1876|Democratic|6,859|7,027|101|New York}}
{{PresRow|1872|Democratic|6,236|6,275|15|New York}}
{{PresRow|1868|Republican|6,568|6,075|0|New York}}
{{PresRow|1864|Republican|6,151|6,047|0|New York}}
{{PresRow|1860|Republican|6,543|6,051|0|New York}}
{{PresRow|1856|Republican|6,373|3,595|1,229|New York}}
{{PresRow|1852|Democratic|4,454|5,488|634|New York}}
{{PresRow|1848|Whig|3,929|3,674|1,979|New York}}
{{PresRow|1844|Democratic|4,743|6,050|413|New York}}
{{PresRow|1840|Democratic|4,856|5,580|60|New York}}
{{PresRow|1836|Democratic|2,469|4,627|0|New York}}
|}

Otsego County is generally a swing and [[bellwether]] county, having voted for the winner of the national election in every election from [[1980 United States presidential election|1980]] to [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]. In 2004, Otsego County voted 51–48 percent in favor of [[George W. Bush]]. In 2008 and 2012, Otsego County voted in favor of [[Barack Obama]]. Democrats are prevalent in the City of Oneonta and Village of Cooperstown, whereas the majority of voters in many of the surrounding towns are registered Republicans. In 2020 the county voted for 51%-46% Donald Trump, and lost its bellwether status when Biden won the election.

Otsego County is the only county in New York that names its legislative body the Board of Representatives. It consists of fourteen members elected from  [[single-member district]]s. The Board Chair is David Bliss (R). The county also has an elected District Attorney, County Treasurer, County Clerk, and County Sheriff.

== Media ==
Along with [[Herkimer County, New York|Herkimer County]] and the eastern portion of [[Oneida County, New York|Oneida County]], northern Otsego County is considered part of the [[Utica, New York|Utica]] television market, while the southern half of the county, including the city of Oneonta, is considered to be in the Binghamton television market.<ref>{{Cite web|title = WKTV.com {{!}} WKTV bringing CBS affiliation to Utica|url = http://www.wktv.com/news/WKTV_bringing_CBS_affiliation_to_Utica.html|website = WKTV.com|date = October 26, 2015|access-date = October 27, 2015|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151027135050/http://www.wktv.com/news/WKTV_bringing_CBS_affiliation_to_Utica.html|archive-date = October 27, 2015}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2022}}
The Village of Cooperstown (home of [[James Fenimore Cooper]], whose father William Cooper founded it) is located at the south end of [[Otsego Lake (New York)|Otsego Lake]]. It attracts many tourists to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] and the [[New York State Historical Association]] museums. Cultural attractions also include the [[Glimmerglass Opera]], with a summer season that draws many repeat visitors for stays.

The primary contributor to the economy is healthcare: Bassett Medical Center, the headquarters of Bassett Healthcare Network and its more than 3,000 employees, is located here.

The City of [[Oneonta, New York|Oneonta]] has two institutions of higher education: [[Hartwick College]] and the [[State University of New York at Oneonta]]; A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital, an affiliate of the Bassett Network; major retail activity; and numerous small businesses. The county as a whole remains relatively rural, with dairy farming a contributing industry that has consolidated employment in recent years, although production has remained steady.

==Communities==
[[Image:Map of Otsego County NY Bacon's History 1902.jpg|right|350px|Map of Otsego County NY to accompany Bacon's History 1902]]

===City===
* [[Oneonta, New York|Oneonta]]

===Towns===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Burlington, New York|Burlington]]
* [[Butternuts, New York|Butternuts]]
* [[Cherry Valley (town), New York|Cherry Valley]]
* [[Decatur, New York|Decatur]]
* [[Edmeston, New York|Edmeston]]
* [[Exeter, New York|Exeter]]
* [[Hartwick, New York|Hartwick]]
* [[Laurens (town), New York|Laurens]]
* [[Maryland, New York|Maryland]]
* [[Middlefield, New York|Middlefield]]
* [[Milford, New York|Milford]]
* [[Morris (town), New York|Morris]]
* [[New Lisbon, New York|New Lisbon]]
* [[Oneonta (town), New York|Oneonta]]
* [[Otego (town), New York|Otego]]
* [[Otsego, New York|Otsego]]
* [[Pittsfield, New York|Pittsfield]]
* [[Plainfield, New York|Plainfield]]
* [[Richfield, New York|Richfield]]
* [[Roseboom, New York|Roseboom]]
* [[Springfield, New York|Springfield]]
* [[Unadilla, New York|Unadilla]]
* [[Westford, New York|Westford]]
* [[Worcester, New York|Worcester]]
{{div col end}}

===Villages===
{{div col}}
* [[Cherry Valley (village), New York|Cherry Valley]]
* [[Cooperstown, New York|Cooperstown]] (county seat)
* [[Gilbertsville, New York|Gilbertsville]]
* [[Laurens (village), New York|Laurens]]
* [[Milford (village), New York|Milford]]
* [[Morris (village), New York|Morris]]
* [[Otego (village), New York|Otego]]
* [[Richfield Springs, New York|Richfield Springs]]
* [[Unadilla (village), New York|Unadilla]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated places===
{{div col}}
* [[Burlington Flats, New York|Burlington Flats]]
* [[East Worcester, New York|East Worcester]]
* [[Edmeston (CDP), New York|Edmeston]]
* [[Fly Creek, New York|Fly Creek]]
* [[Garrattsville, New York|Garrattsville]]
* [[Hartwick (CDP), New York|Hartwick]]
* [[Hartwick Seminary, New York|Hartwick Seminary]]
* [[Mount Vision, New York|Mount Vision]]
* [[Portlandville, New York|Portlandville]]
* [[Schenevus, New York|Schenevus]]
* [[Schuyler Lake, New York|Schuyler Lake]]
* [[South Edmeston, New York|South Edmeston]]
* [[Springfield Center, New York|Springfield Center]]
* [[Unadilla Forks, New York|Unadilla Forks]]
* [[Wells Bridge, New York|Wells Bridge]]
* [[West End, New York|West End]]
* [[Westford (CDP), New York|Westford]]
* [[Worcester (CDP), New York|Worcester]]
{{div col end}}

===Hamlets===
* [[East Springfield, New York|East Springfield]]
* [[Schuyler Lake, New York|Schuyler Lake]]
* [[Silver Lake, Otsego County, New York|Silver Lake]]
* [[West Burlington, New York|West Burlington]]
* [[West Edmeston, New York|West Edmeston]]

==See also==
{{Portal|New York (state)}}
* [[List of counties in New York]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Otsego County, New York]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Butterfield, Lyman H. [http://external.oneonta.edu/cooper/articles/nyhistory/1954nyhistory-butterfield.html "Cooper's Inheritance: The Otsego Country and its Founders"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716200030/http://external.oneonta.edu/cooper/articles/nyhistory/1954nyhistory-butterfield.html |date=July 16, 2012 }}, ''New York History'', Vol. 35, No. 4 (October 1954), pp.&nbsp;374–411.
* French, J. H. [http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyotsego/frotsego.htm "Otsego County"], ''Gazetteer of the State of New York'', Syracuse, New York: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860
* {{Cite Q|Q114149630|page=715-22
   |chapter=Chapter III. Otsego County.
   |editor=Sullivan, James
   |editor2=Williams, Melvin E.
   |editor3=Conklin, Edwin P.
   |editor4=Fitzpatrick, Benedict}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.otsegocounty.com Official Otsego County Government site]
* [http://www.scoutcamphenderson.org/ Henderson Scout Reservation] - Boy Scout Camp serving Otsego County

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Otsego County, New York
|North     = [[Herkimer County, New York|Herkimer County]]
|Northeast = [[Montgomery County, New York|Montgomery County]]
|East      = [[Schoharie County, New York|Schoharie County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Delaware County, New York|Delaware County]]
|Southwest = [[Chenango County, New York|Chenango County]]
|West      =
|Northwest = [[Oneida County, New York|Oneida County]] and [[Madison County, New York|Madison County]]
}}

{{Otsego County, New York}}
{{Central New York colleges}}
{{New York}}
{{authority control}}
{{coord|42.63|-75.04|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-NY_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Otsego County, New York| ]]
[[Category:1791 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Catskills|Otsego County, New York]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1791]]
[[Category:New York (state) placenames of Native American origin]]