Hunter is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 429 at the 2020 census. The village is in the northwestern part of the town of Hunter on New York State Route 23A.

History

The community was initially called "Edwardsville" after William Edwards, who founded the village by building a tannery there. The village was incorporated in 1896.

Geography

Hunter is located in western Greene County at (42.208549, −74.21398), within the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined a ...

, in the valley of Schoharie Creek. New York State Route 23A is the village's Main Street, leading east to Tannersville and to Catskill. To the west NY 23A leads down Schoharie Creek to Prattsville. 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 village has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.81%, is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 490 people, 238 households, and 123 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 639 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.37%

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 ...

, 0.41%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.20% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 0.61% 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 2.04% of the population. There were 238 households, out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.3% were non-families. 44.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.87. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $48,500. Males had a median income of $35,625 versus $22,188 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,100. About 9.4% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

Hunter Mountain is the highest peak in the county and the second highest in the

Catskills The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined a ...

. The mountain is the site of Hunter Mountain ski area which is open for skiing and tubing in the winter, and biking, sightseeing and hiking in the summer. The ski resort is the largest employer in the village, which was run by the Slutzky family, followed by Peak Resorts but is now run by Vail Resorts in the heart of Hunter. The seasonal nature of the mountain regulates the economic activity of the town. For over 40 years, the village of Hunter has been home to Camp Loyaltown, a

summer camp A summer camp, also known as a sleepaway camp or residential camp, is a supervised overnight program for children conducted during the summer vacation from school in many countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer residential camps ...

that specializes in caring for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, including

autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

emotional and behavioral disorders Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD; also known as behavioral and emotional disorders) refer to a disability classification used in educational settings that allows educational institutions to provide special education and related services to ...

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...

and Down syndrome. Every year, more than 650 campers/guests come to Camp Loyaltown to enjoy the scenic locale and traditional summer camp activities. The camp attracts staff (counselors, admin personnel etc.) from all over the world, who become a major presence and contributor to the village's economy each summer. Camp Jened, a summer camp for disabled people with a broader range of physical and cognitive disabilities than Camp Loyaltown, was located on Ski Bowl Road in the second half of the 20th century. It was a major focal point for the

disability rights movement The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all disabled people. It is made up of organizations of disability activists, also known as disability advocates, around ...

and independent living movement.

References

External links

Village of Hunter official website
{{authority control Villages in New York (state) Catskills Villages in Greene County, New York