Spencer 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 Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,976 at the 2020 census. The town and its primary village are named after Ambrose Spencer. It lies on the western border of the county and is south of Ithaca. Inside the town is the Village of Spencer. The village of Candor borders the town to the east and southeast, with Waverly to the southwest and Van Etten to the west, while Danby is to the north.

History

The land for the town was purchased in 1791 and settlement began in 1794. When the town was organized in 1806 from the Town of Tioga (the Old Town of Owego), it contained territory that is now in more newly organized towns: Candor (1811), Caroline (1811), Danby (1811), Newfield (1811), and Cayuta (1824) in Tioga and other counties. The Halsey Valley Grand Army of the Republic Meeting Hall was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2003. Town resident Cal Harris was tried four times for murder, and ultimately acquitted, over a decade following the 2001 disappearance of his estranged wife.

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 is land and , or 0.68%, is water. The eastern town line is the border of Chemung County and the northern town line is the border of Tompkins County. Conjoined New York State Route 34 and New York State Route 96 divide at Spencer village.

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 2,979 people, 1,153 households, and 817 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,271 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.28%

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, 0.67%

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% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races.

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or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population. There were 1,153 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $37,432, and the median income for a family was $41,025. Males had a median income of $31,277 versus $25,508 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 $16,312. About 6.2% of families and 8.5% 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 9.5% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Residents are most likely to go to the Spencer-Van Etten Central School district. The mascot is the Panther, with red, black, and silver colors. They are the 2001 soccer state champions and 1994 volleyball champions. The largest rivalry is between the Candor Indians. The football rivalry championship, is the Jug Game, in which Candor had a 10-year run.

Communities and locations in the Town of Spencer

*Cowells Corners – A former location east of Spencer village. *Crum Town – A hamlet in the northeastern part of the town. *Empire Lake – A small lake in the southeastern part of the town. * Spencer – The Village of Spencer is centrally located in the town. Part of the village was once called "Bradleytown" and another "Drakes Settlement." *North Spencer (formerly "Huggtown") – A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town on NY-34 and NY-96. *Spencer Lake – a small

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

southeast of North Spencer. *West Branch of Catatonk Creek – A stream flowing from Spencer Lake past Spencer Village. *West Candor – A hamlet by the eastern town line on NY-96.

References

External links

Town and Village of Spencer

Spencer-Van Etten Central School District
{{authority control Binghamton metropolitan area Towns in Tioga County, New York Towns in New York (state)