Cayuta is a town in Schuyler County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 508. The Town of Cayuta occupies the southeastern corner of the county and is northeast of Elmira. It is part of the Elmira Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The first pioneers arrived ''circa'' 1798 near the community of Cayuta. The town was created from part of the Town of Spencer ( Tioga County) in 1824, before the formation of Schuyler County. The size was increased in 1854 by the addition of parts of two other towns: Catharine and Erin (then both in Chemung County). In the same year, Schuyler County was created, and Cayuta was included in the new county.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. The western, southern and eastern town lines border Chemung County, and the northern town line borders primarily Tompkins County.

Cayuta Creek Cayuta Creek (Kay-YOO-tuh) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River that flows through Schuyler County, New York, Schuyler, Chemung County, New York, Chemung and Tioga County, New York, Tioga counties in New York (state), New York state, and Brad ...

is an important stream in the town, flowing southeast toward the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 545 people, 212 households, and 161 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 233 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.15%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.10%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.37% Native American, 0.55% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population. There were 212 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were

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

living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.90. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,768, and the median income for a family was $35,313. Males had a median income of $27,857 versus $21,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $18,419. About 3.9% of families and 6.2% 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 7.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* William T. Lawrence, former US Congressman

Communities and locations in the Town of Cayuta

*Alpine Junction – A hamlet near the northern town line on NY-13 and NY-224. *Cayuta – The

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

of Cayuta is in the northwestern part of the town on NY-224. It was the first place settled in the town. Cayuta is a short distance from the border of Tompkins County.

References

External links

Brief early history of Cayuta
{{authority control Towns in Schuyler County, New York Towns in New York (state)