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Benton
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Information About

Benton, New York




The Town of Benton is located in the northeast part of the county. Benton is on the west side of Seneca Lake .


HISTORY

The region was part of the Phelps And Gorham Purchase .
The town was formed in 1803 before the formation of Yates County. Originally called the "Town of Vernon," the name was changed to "Snell" to avoid confusion with another "Vernon." Finally, the name was changed to "Benton," after Levi Benton, thought to be the first settler in the town.

In 1818, the town was reduced in size by the founding of the Town Of Milo . A further loss of territory came about in 1851 when the Town Of Torrey was created.


GEOGRAPHY

According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 115.1 Km&2 (44.4 Mi&2 ). 107.4 km&2 (41.5 mi&2) of it is land and 7.7 km&2 (3.0 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 6.66% water.

The north town line is the border of Ontario County , and part of the east town line is the border of Seneca County .

Benton is in the Finger Lakes region of New York.


DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the Census 2 of 2000, there were 2,640 people, 864 households, and 642 families residing in the town. The Population Density was 24.6/km&2 (63.6/mi&2). There were 956 housing units at an average density of 8.9/km&2 (23.0/mi&2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.86% White , 0.42% African American , 0.00% Native American , 0.15% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander , 0.08% from Other Races , and 0.49% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 864 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were Married Couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $43,988. Males had a median income of $26,951 versus $23,250 for females. The Per Capita Income for the town was $16,843. 13.5% of the population and 7.5% of families were below the Poverty Line . 25.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.


COMMUNITIES AND LOCATIONS IN BENTON

  • Angus -- A Hamlet by Seneca Lake on Route 14.

  • Bellona -- A hamlet near the north town line.

  • Bellona Station -- A location southwest of Bellona.

  • Benton -- The hamlet of Benton is on Route 14.

  • Benton Center -- A location west of Benton hamlet on Route 14 at the junction of 14A.

  • Fergusen Corners -- A location in the northwest corner of the town.

  • Havens Corner -- A hamlet northwest of Penn Yan village and east of Benton Center on NY Route 14.

  • Penn Yan -- A small part of the Village of Penn Yan is in the south part of the town.



EXTERNAL LINKS

  • [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/yates/bentonindex.htm Early history of Benton, NY]