Humphrey is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 701 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Charles Humphrey, who at the time of the town's founding was

Speaker of the New York State Assembly The speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party. As in most countries with a British heritage, the speaker presides over the lower hous ...

. Humphrey is an interior town in the eastern half of the county, northeast of the city of

Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...

History

Origins The area that would become the town was first settled ''circa'' 1815. The town of Humphrey was established in 1836 from a part of the town of Allegany. The first permanent settler was named Russell Chapell. Who arrived from Schenectady County in 1815, settling on lot 56, on the banks of Sugartown Creek. Here, him and his wife built a log house, making them the first official settlers. Slowly over the next ten years the settlement gre

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 , of which , or 0.05%, is water.

New York State Route 98 New York State Route 98 (NY 98) is a state highway in the western New York, western part of New York (state), New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 219 in New York, U.S. ...

crosses the northwest corner of the town. Humphrey is primarily served by county roads, namely Routes 18, 19, and 51.

Adjacent towns and areas

Humphrey is east of the town of Great Valley and south of the town of Franklinville. The east town line is shared by the towns of Hinsdale and Ischua. To the south is the town of Allegany.

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 721 people, 263 households, and 186 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 457 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.23%

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 ...

, 0.97%

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 ...

, 0.83% Native American, 0.69% from other races, and 0.28% 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 0.83% of the population. There were 263 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% 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, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.22. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $71,212, whereas the median household income in Cattaraugus County in general is $50,508 as of a ''2022 American Community Survey''. Males had a median income of $27,768 versus $20,326 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 $16,874. About 9.2% of families and 11.3% 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 14.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. About 26.4% of Humphrey residents have obtained a Bachelor's Degree or higher. The educational attainment based on the above the age of 25 population is as follows: 36.4% have a high school degree or higher, 18.6% have attended college but did not receive a degree, 13.6% have obtained an

Associate's Degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree. ...

, while 8.7% have a Bachelor's Degree, and 17.7% earned a Graduate or professional degre

Communities and locations in Humphrey

*Humphrey – The hamlet (place), hamlet of Humphrey is near the center of the town at the junction of County Roads 18 and 51. It was formerly known as "Chapellsburg" after an early hotel owner; another possible factor in its name was the Saint Pacificus Chapel, a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

chapel and cemetery that is the only church in North America named for Saint Pacificus and an early congregation point for the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

that later founded Saint Bonaventure University. The chapel remains in operation to the present day, albeit in a reduced schedule since 2007 since the death of its longtime priest and cutbacks in the Catholic Church.The Ellicottville Times and The Ellicottville Times 2019 Annual Visitors’ Guide and Directory
/ref> *Humphrey Center – A hamlet in the northern part of the town on County Road 18. The community is locally called "Tickletown"; more about Tickletown can be foun
here
*Wrights Creek – A stream flowing past Humphrey and Humphrey Center. It is named after early settler Richard Wright. *Pumpkinville – An autumn theme park, pumpkin patch and apple cider mill based in the western part of the town.

References

External links

Town of Humphrey official website

* https://data.census.gov/profile/Humphrey_town,_Cattaraugus_County,_New_York?g=060XX00US3600936123 {{authority control Towns in Cattaraugus County, New York Towns in New York (state)