The town of Wheatland is located in the southwest part of Monroe County, New York. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which, of it is land, and of it is water. The terrain includes low rolling hills, with flats along the Genesee River. Terranean water supply is of excellent capacity, although of varying quality. The agricultural lands are fertile and productive. The town is bordered on the north by the towns of Riga and Chili, on the east by the Genesee River and the towns of Henrietta and Rush, and on the south and west by Livingston County. Oatka Creek, the only significant waterway in Wheatland and a major component of the town's history, is a tributary of the Genesee River. The New York State Thruway crosses through Chili, north of the town.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,149 people, 2,011 households, and 1,425 families residing in the town. The population density was 168.1 people per square mile. There were 2,093 housing units at an average density of 68.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 92.99% White, 4.02% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population. There were 2,011 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couplesliving together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $55,239, and the median income for a family was $63,297. Males had a median income of $41,733 versus $30,733 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,024. About 2.1% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
The first settlers arrived circa 1789. The town was established on 23 February 1821 as Inverness. On 3 April 1821, the state legislature changed the town's name to Wheatland, allegedly at the behest of John Garbutt, a former Englishman markedly devoid of Scottish tendencies. In those days, the growing of wheat and the manufacture of flour were the county's primary economic activity, and the Wheatland area figured prominently in this trade. The US Census of 1850 notes that the counties of Monroe and Livingston led the entire United States in wheat production. As the vast agricultural expanses of the American Midwest opened up, the local wheat industry went into decline, beginning in the decade prior to the Civil War. This breakdown was exacerbated by severe adverse weather in the latter 1850s. The Romanta T. Miller House and Oatka Cemetery were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Government
The town is governed by a Town Board consisting of a Town Supervisor and four Town Board members, all elected by registered town voters. The Supervisor is elected every two years. Board members serve four-year terms.
Mumford - A hamlet near the south town line in the western part of the town on Route 36. Originally called Mackenzie's Corners, it changed its name to Mumfordville, after one of its citizens.
