Van Etten is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

Chemung County Chemung County is a county in the southern tier of the U.S. state of New York. The population was 84,148 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is Elmira. Its name is derived from a Delaware Indian village whose name meant "big horn". Chem ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. It is part of the Elmira

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. The population of the town was 1,541 at the 2020 census. The town is named for the two brothers who founded the village of

Van Etten Van Etten is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Chris Van Etten, American television writer * Hudson Van Etten (1874–1941), United States Navy sailor * Jane Van Etten (born 1871), American composer * Sharon Van Etten (born 1981) ...

in it. The town is at the northeastern corner of the county, northeast of Elmira.

History

The area that became Van Etten was first settled around 1794, but more permanent settlement came in 1797. The town of Van Etten was formed in 1854 from the towns of

Erin Erin is a Hiberno-English word for Ireland originating from the Irish word ''"Éirinn"''. "Éirinn" is the dative case of the Irish word for Ireland, "Éire", genitive "Éireann", the dative being used in prepositional phrases such as ''"go h ...

and Cayuta. (Cayuta later became part of Schuyler County.) In 1876, the village of Van Etten was incorporated within the town. In 2017, the village of Van Etten voted to dissolve and rejoin the Town of Van Etten. The dissolution took effect on December 31, 2018.

Geography

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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.30%, is water. The northern town line is the border of

Tompkins County Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,740. The county seat is Ithaca. The name is in honor of Daniel D. Tompkins, who served as Governor of New York and Vice Preside ...

, the eastern town boundary is the border of Tioga County and part of the western town line is the border of Schuyler County. New York State Route 34 intersects

New York State Route 224 New York State Route 224 (NY 224) is a state highway in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. The route is signed as north–south; however, in actuality the highway follows more of an east–west routing across southeaster ...

at Van Etten village. A short part of

New York State Route 223 New York State Route 223 (NY 223) is an east–west state highway in Chemung County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 13 northeast of the city of Elmira in the town of Horseheads to a ju ...

is at its junction with NY-224 by the west town line.

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,518 people, 596 households, and 420 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 36.5 people per square mile (14.1/km²). There were 679 housing units at an average density of 16.3 per square mile (6.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.55%

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 ...

, 0.26%

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 ha ...

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, 0.20% Asian, 0.20% 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 0.46% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population. There were 596 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.99. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,011, and the median income for a family was $38,462. Males had a median income of $26,318 versus $24,762 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 town was $14,426. About 7.7% of families and 12.5% 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 ...

, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Van Etten

*Swartwood – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

by the western town line on NY-223. It is named after an early settler of the town, Jacob Swartwood. *

– The hamlet of Van Etten is near the eastern town line at the junction of NY-34 and NY-224. *Van Etten Junction – A hamlet south of Van Etten village on NY-34.

References

External links

Tri-Counties Genealogy & History: Town of Van Etten, Chemung County NY

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Etten (Town), New York Towns in Chemung County, New York