| Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. | | | | |
| state of New York. As of 2000, the population | | | | Ontario County, New York - southeast |
| was 735,343. It is named after James Monroe, | | | | |
| fifth President of the United States of | | | | Livingston County, New York - south |
| America. Its county seat is Rochester. | | | | |
| | | | Orleans County, New York - west |
| When counties were established in the | | | | |
| Province of New York in 1683, the present | | | | Genesee County, New York - west |
| Monroe County was part of Albany County. This | | | | |
| was an enormous county, including the | | | | Government |
| northern part of New York State as well as | | | | |
| all of the present State of Vermont and, in | | | | The current County Executive is Maggie |
| theory, extending westward to the Pacific | | | | Brooks, a former news anchor in Rochester. |
| Ocean. This county was reduced in size on | | | | |
| July 3, 1766 by the creation of Cumberland | | | | Economy |
| County, and further on March 16, 1770 by the | | | | |
| creation of Gloucester County, both | | | | Rochester is a home to a number of |
| containing territory now in Vermont. | | | | international businesses, including Eastman |
| | | | Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Constellation Brands |
| On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany | | | | and Paychex, all of which make Rochester |
| County was split into three parts, one | | | | their world headquarters. Xerox, while no |
| remaining under the name Albany County. One | | | | longer headquartered in Rochester, has its |
| of the other pieces, Tryon County, contained | | | | principal offices and manufacturing |
| the western portion (and thus, since no | | | | facilities in Monroe County. Because of the |
| western boundary was specified, theoretically | | | | high prevalence of imaging and optical |
| still extended west to the Pacific). The | | | | science among the industry and the |
| eastern boundary of Tryon County was | | | | universities, Rochester is known as the world |
| approximately five miles west of the present | | | | capital of imaging. The University of |
| city of Schenectady, and the county included | | | | Rochester's Institute of Optics is ranked |
| the western part of the Adirondack Mountains | | | | number one in the country, and the Rochester |
| and the area west of the West Branch of the | | | | Institute of Technology has one of the best |
| Delaware River. The area then designated as | | | | imaging science departments in the country. |
| Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New | | | | Eastman Kodak has been going through |
| York State. The county was named for William | | | | successive rounds of layoffs for years, which |
| Tryon, colonial governor of New York. | | | | are a strain on the local economy. |
| | | | |
| In the years prior to 1776, most of the | | | | Rochester is also home to regional businesses |
| Loyalists in Tryon County fled to Canada. In | | | | such as Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., Roberts |
| 1784, following the peace treaty that ended | | | | Communications, Inc., The Sutherland Group, |
| the American Revolutionary War, the name of | | | | PAETEC Communications, and major fashion |
| Tryon County was changed to Montgomery County | | | | label Hickey-Freeman. |
| in order to honor the general, Richard | | | | |
| Montgomery, who had captured several places | | | | Demographics |
| in Canada and died attempting to capture the | | | | |
| city of Quebec, replacing the name of the | | | | As of the census2 of 2000, there were 735,343 |
| hated British governor. | | | | people, 286,512 households, and 184,513 |
| | | | families residing in the county. The |
| In 1789, Ontario County was split off from | | | | population density was 431/km2 (1,115/mi2). |
| Montgomery. The actual area split off from | | | | There were 304,388 housing units at an |
| Montgomery County was much larger than the | | | | average density of 178/km2 (462/mi2). The |
| present county, also including the present | | | | racial makeup of the county was 79.14% White, |
| Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, | | | | 13.75% African American, 0.27% Native |
| Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, | | | | American, 2.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific |
| Orleans, Steuben, Wyoming, Yates, and part of | | | | Islander, 2.44% from other races, and 1.94% |
| Schuyler and Wayne Counties. | | | | from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of |
| | | | any race were 5.31% of the population. 4.64% |
| Genesee County was created by a splitting of | | | | of the population reported speaking Spanish |
| Ontario County in 1802. This was much larger | | | | at home, while 1.43% speak Italian.[1] |
| than the present Genesee County, however. It | | | | |
| contained the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, | | | | There were 286,512 households out of which |
| Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming, | | | | 31.80% had children under the age of 18 |
| and portions of Livingston and Monroe | | | | living with them, 47.40% were married couples |
| Counties. | | | | living together, 13.40% had a female |
| | | | householder with no husband present, and |
| Finally, Monroe County was formed from parts | | | | 35.60% were non-families. 28.60% of all |
| of Genesee and Ontario Counties in 1821. | | | | households were made up of individuals and |
| | | | 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 |
| Geography | | | | years of age or older. The average household |
| | | | size was 2.47 and the average family size was |
| Monroe County is in northwestern New York | | | | 3.08. |
| State, northeast of Buffalo and northwest of | | | | |
| Syracuse. | | | | In the county the population was spread out |
| | | | with 25.60% under the age of 18, 9.50% from |
| According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the | | | | 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from |
| county has a total area of 3,537 km2 (1,366 | | | | 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age |
| mi2). 1,708 km2 (659 mi2) of it is land and | | | | or older. The median age was 36 years. For |
| 1,829 km2 (706 mi2) of it (51.72%) is water. | | | | every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For |
| | | | every 100 females age 18 and over, there were |
| With the City of Rochester's sizeable | | | | 89.20 males. |
| presence, and an abundance of interstate | | | | |
| highways (mainly I-90 and the connectors to | | | | The median income for a household in the |
| Rochester), Monroe County has some very busy | | | | county was $44,891, and the median income for |
| local courts. | | | | a family was $55,900. Males had a median |
| | | | income of $41,279 versus $29,553 for females. |
| Adjacent Counties | | | | The per capita income for the county was |
| | | | $22,821. About 8.20% of families and 11.20% |
| Lake Ontario and Canada - north | | | | of the population were below the poverty |
| | | | line, including 15.50% of those under age 18 |
| Wayne County, New York - east | | | | and 7.40% of those age 65 or over. |