Columbia, New York


Columbia is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 1,580. The town is at the south border of the county and is southeast of Utica.

History

The area was called "Coonradstown" during the early settlement period. The original settlers, mainly of German extraction, abandoned their holdings during the American Revolution, and the next settlement period took place around 1791. The first school, opened in 1795, was taught in the German language.
The town was organized in 1812 from part of the town of Warren, which was itself made by a partition of the town of German Flatts.
The population of Columbia in 1865 was 1,732.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which are land and, or 0.06%, are water.
The south town line is the border of Otsego County.
The Unadilla River, a tributary of the Susquehanna River, rises in the center of the town and flows westward. The northern part of the town drains northward towards the Mohawk River.
New York State Route 28 is a major north-south highway through Columbia.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,630 people, 581 households, and 457 families residing in the town. The population density was 46.6 people per square mile. There were 631 housing units at an average density of 18.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98.53% White, 0.06% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 581 households, out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.3% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,758, and the median income for a family was $43,864. Males had a median income of $30,605 versus $22,031 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,591. About 10.9% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Columbia, NY