Alfred is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

located in the town of Alfred in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 4,174 at the 2010 census. The village lies in the north-central part of the town of Alfred on the eastern edge of Allegany County. It is named after Alfred the Great. Alfred is located in the hills of

western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY i ...

along the Southern Tier. The layout of the valley is such that the lowest part contains the village, and upon the hills to the east and west are Alfred University and

Alfred State College Alfred State College (ASC, SUNY Alfred, SUNY Alfred State) is a public college in Alfred, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The college, formerly the Technical College at Alfred, offers a wide variety o ...

, respectively. The valley was originally called ''Kanakadea'' (or ''Canakadea'', or other spellings) by Native Americans. Local folklore states that ''Kanakadea'' means "where the earth meets the sky". Alfred is located in the 607 (telephone) area code, 14802 zip (postal) code, and is in the second poorest county in the state ( Allegany). The closest cities are Hornell and Olean. The elevation of Alfred is about but rises to a high point of at the summit of Jericho Hill just south of the village. The hills greatly affect the weather in the region, which results in quick changes as well as different conditions in neighboring valleys. The village hosts the annual Hot Dog Day festival (early April). The village is home to one of the largest optical telescopes in New York state, at the Stull Observatory at Alfred University.http://las.alfred.edu/physics

is also located in the village.

History

The village was first settled ''circa'' 1807 and was incorporated in 1881. The village was previously called "Alfred Centre". The following are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

: Alfred Village Historic District, Alumni Hall, Fireman's Hall,

Allen Steinheim Museum The Allen Steinheim Museum is a historic building and former museum located on the campus of Alfred University at Alfred in Allegany County, New York. It is a crenellated stone structure built from 1876 to 1880 to house the "mineral, geological, ...

and the Terra Cotta Building.

Geography

Alfred is approximately located at 42.3° north latitude, 77.8° west longitude. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the village has a total area of , all land. A small stream, Kanakadea Creek, flows through the center of the village, then to the

Canisteo River The Canisteo River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Tioga River in western New York in the United States. It drains a dissected pla ...

, part of the Susquehanna River watershed. The topography is steep hill country, part of the Allegheny Plateau, a physiographic region that is part of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 3,954 people, 530 households, and 169 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 3,352.5 people per square mile (1,293.8/km). There were 576 housing units at an average density of 488.4 per square mile (188.5/km). The racial makeup of the village was 90.21%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 4.40%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.33% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.21% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.11% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 2.73% of the population. There were 530 households, out of which 12.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.0% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 68.1% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.73. In the village, the population was spread out, with 3.0% under the age of 18, 83.1% from 18 to 24, 5.9% from 25 to 44, 4.6% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 20 years. For every 100 females, there were 144.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 147.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $21,313, and the median income for a family was $70,694. Males had a median income of $15,750 versus $39,375 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $8,224. About 2.0% of families and 37.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including none of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Village of Alfred official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alfred (Village), New York Villages in New York (state) Villages in Allegany County, New York