Rensselaer County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state of
New York. As of the
2020 census, the population was 161,130.
Its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
is
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
.
The county is named in honor of the family of
Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original
Dutch owner of the
land in the area.
Rensselaer County is part of the
Albany-
Schenectady
Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
-Troy, NY
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
.
History
The area that is now Rensselaer County was inhabited by the
Algonquian-speaking
Mohican Indian tribe at the time of European encounter.
Kiliaen van Rensselaer, a
Dutch jeweler and merchant, purchased the area in 1630 and incorporated it in his
patroonship
In the United States, a patroon (; from Dutch ''patroon'' ) was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland on the east coast of North America. Through the Charter of Freedoms ...
Rensselaerswyck. (It was part of the
Dutch colony New Netherland
New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva ...
).
The land passed into
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
rule in 1664; the Dutch regained control in 1673, but the English took it back in 1674. Until 1776, the year of
American independence, the county was under
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
or
British control. The county was not organized as a legal entity until after the Revolution, in 1791, when it was created from an area that was originally part of the very large
Albany County.
In 1807, in a county re-organization, the rural sections of
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
were set off as Towns, and the city was incorporated. The two towns created were
Brunswick (named for Duke
Friedrich Wilhelm of
Braunschweig-Lüneburg) and
Grafton (named for
Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton
Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton (10 February 1790 – 26 March 1863), styled Viscount Ipswich until 1811 and Earl of Euston between 1811 and 1844, was a British peer and politician.
Grafton was the son of George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton a ...
). A third town, Philipstown, was set off in 1806. In 1808, it was renamed
Nassau
Nassau may refer to:
Places Bahamas
*Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence
Canada
*Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792
*Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...
after the
duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
of
that area.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water.
Rensselaer County is in the eastern part of New York State. The eastern boundary of Rensselaer County runs along the
New York–
Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
and
New York–
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
borders.
The terrain runs from level and flat near the Hudson and then rises into the
Rensselaer Plateau
The Rensselaer Plateau is a small plateau located in the central portion of Rensselaer County, New York; it generally encompasses significant parts of the towns of Berlin, Stephentown, Sand Lake, Poestenkill, and Grafton, along with small sect ...
around
Poestenkill and
Sand Lake, then to the
Taconic Mountains along the Massachusetts state line.
The highest point is
Berlin Mountain, above sea level, in the town of Berlin. The lowest point is above sea level at the Hudson River's southernmost extent in the county.
The
Hoosic River, a tributary of the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...
, is in the northern part of the county.
Depending on precise location within the county, road travel distance to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
ranges between and .
Adjacent counties
*
Washington County — north
*
Bennington County, Vermont
Bennington County is a county in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,347. The shire towns ( county seats) are jointly Bennington ("The Southshire") and Manchester ("The Northshire"), and the largest municip ...
— northeast
*
Berkshire County, Massachusetts — east
*
Columbia County — south
*
Greene County — southwest
*
Albany County — west
*
Saratoga County — northwest
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2010, there were 159,429 people, 62,694 households, and 39,989 families residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 233 people per square mile (90/km
2). There were 69,120 housing units at an average density of 109 per square mile (39/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.73%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 7.14%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.23%
Native American, 1.71%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.89% from
other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 5.01% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race. 22.3% were of
Irish, 14.7%
Italian, 12.8%
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 7.5%
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
, 6.2%
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, 5.3%
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and 2.3%
Puerto Rican ancestry according to
Census 2010. 95.4% spoke
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
and 2.7%
Spanish as their first language.
There were 61,094 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.80% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,905, and the median income for a family was $52,864. Males had a median income of $36,666 versus $28,153 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $21,095. About 6.70% of families and 9.50% 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 11.90% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.
2020 Census
Government and politics
From
1884 through the
1988 campaign, voters in
Rensselaer County chiefly supported the Republican candidate, though the county has since swung to a majority voting for the Democrat, with
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
in
2016 the sole Republican to carry the county since.
Beginning in 1791, Rensselaer County was governed by a Board of Supervisors, which acted as the
Legislature
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...
, with the chairman of the board serving as a ''de facto'' Executive. The Board of Supervisors form of government was terminated as a result of a class action lawsuit brought by Troy attorney Marvin I. Honig on behalf of his wife, Nedda, during March 1968. Mr. Honig brought this lawsuit to declare that the Board of Supervisors, as constituted, violated the "one man, one vote" principal declared by the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Honig's motive in bringing the lawsuit was to punish the Rensselaer County Republican Party chairman and certain members of the Board of Supervisors for defaulting on an agreement with him. The NY Supreme Court ruled in Honig's favor, and ordered the creation of a legislative body. Several plans were offered, but a plan proposed by Honig was adopted by the Court, and its decision was affirmed by the Appellate Division and Court of Appeals. The first "Honig Plan" was drawn to favor the Democratic party, which had not had control of the county government in decades. That plan, which controlled the 1969 election, resulted in the Democrats winning control of the new Rensselaer County Legislature. Thereafter, following a change of leadership in the Republican party, Honig brought a new plan, drawn to favor Republican candidates, to the court, which adopted his revised plan. The second "Honig Plan" was affirmed by the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals. The Republican candidates won back the County Legislature in the 1971 election, and Honig became the Renssselaer County Attorney, a position he held for well over a decade. A full explanation of the creation of the Rensselaer County Legislature can be found at http://nassau-stories.blogspot.com/2006/04/reapportionment.html. See also: The Troy Record, July 8, 1971, page 1.
In 1970, the Rensselaer County Legislature was created, which elected Edward J. "Ned" Quinn as chairman. The Chairman served as the equivalent to an executive until the office of
County Executive was created in 1972. Since its creation, Democrats have never won the office, although they controlled the Legislature until 1994. One notable candidate for Executive was
Edward Pattison who was later elected to Congress, and whose son Mark served two terms as Mayor of
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
. The current county executive is Steve McLaughlin (R).
Legislative authority is vested in the County Legislature, which consists of 19 members representing 17 different communities, separated into six districts. The current composition of the Legislature is as follows (ten Republicans, six Democrats, two Conservatives who caucus with the Republicans, and one Independent who caucuses with the Republicans):
District 1 –
City of Troy:
* Cynthia B. Doran (D), Deputy Minority Leader
* Mark J. Fleming (D)
* Peter D. Grimm (D), Minority Leader
* Nina M. Nichols (D)
* Carole C. Weaver (D)
* Ken Zalewski (D)
District 2 –
East Greenbush,
North Greenbush
North Greenbush is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. North Greenbush is located in the western part of the county. The population was 13,292 at the 2020 census.
The town has three main hamlets, Wynantskill in the northeastern ...
, and
Poestenkill:
* Robert W. Bayly (R), Vice Chairperson for Finance
* Leon B. Fiacco (R)
* Thomas Grant (R)
* Kelly Hoffman (C), Chairwoman
District 3 –
Brunswick,
Pittstown, and
Schaghticoke:
* Dan Casale (R)
* Kenneth H. Herrington (R), Majority Leader
* William Maloney (R)
District 4 –
Nassau
Nassau may refer to:
Places Bahamas
*Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence
Canada
*Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792
*Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...
,
Sand Lake, and
Schodack
Schodack is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 12,965 at the 2020 census. The town name is derived from the Mahican word, Escotak. The town is in the southwestern part of the county. Schodack is southeast of ...
:
* Scott Bendett (R)
* Thomas Choquette (B)
* Robert R. Loveridge (R), Vice Chairperson
District 5 –
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
,
Grafton,
Hoosick,
Hoosick Falls,
Petersburgh, and
Stephentown:
* Bruce Patire (R)
* Jeffrey Wysocki (R)
District 6 –
City of Rensselaer:
* Brian Stall (C)
the current sheriff is Patrick A. Russo. Notably, Russo was the only sheriff in the state to embrace
Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g), which authorizes local and county law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants.
Education
The county is serviced by 16 school districts. Some are completely contained in the county while some cross county lines into other counties. No school districts cross either the
Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
or
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
state borders. Below is a table that shows the districts within the county, which
BOCES
The Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES //) is a program of shared educational services provided to school districts by the New York State Legislature.
History
BOCES owes its origin to a state legislative enactment authorizing the f ...
they belong to, and which other counties they may serve.
Rensselaer County School Districts.
Capital District Regional Planning Commission.
Retrieved 14 October 2008.
The county is also home to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...
, the oldest operating technological college in America.[ Note: a possible competitor for this title is the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, which claims to have the oldest engineering department in the US . While this is true, it is still true that RPI offered the first engineering ''degree'' (Civil Engineering) in 1835. The statement of being 'the oldest" is thus justified in different ways by both. The modifier "in continuous existence" appears in Ricketts, Palmer C. ''History of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 2nd e''.]
Communities
Cities
* Rensselaer
* Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
(county seat)
Towns
* Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
* Brunswick
* East Greenbush
* Grafton
* Hoosick
* Nassau
Nassau may refer to:
Places Bahamas
*Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence
Canada
*Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792
*Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...
* North Greenbush
North Greenbush is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. North Greenbush is located in the western part of the county. The population was 13,292 at the 2020 census.
The town has three main hamlets, Wynantskill in the northeastern ...
* Petersburgh
* Pittstown
* Poestenkill
* Sand Lake
* Schaghticoke
* Schodack
Schodack is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 12,965 at the 2020 census. The town name is derived from the Mahican word, Escotak. The town is in the southwestern part of the county. Schodack is southeast of ...
* Stephentown
Villages
* Castleton-on-Hudson (Castleton)
* East Nassau
* Hoosick Falls
* Nassau
Nassau may refer to:
Places Bahamas
*Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence
Canada
*Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792
*Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...
* Schaghticoke
* Valley Falls
Census-designated places
* Averill Park
* East Greenbush
* Hampton Manor
* Nassau Lake
* Poestenkill
* West Sand Lake
* Wynantskill
Hamlets
* Cherry Plain
* Cropseyville
* Defreestville
* Eagle Bridge
* East Schodack
* Johnsonville
* Melrose Melrose may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
* Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland
** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery
** Melrose RFC, rugby club
Australia
* Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...
* Schodack Center
* Speigletown
* Taborton
* Wyomanock
See also
* List of counties in New York
There are 62 counties in the state of New York.
The first 12 were created immediately after the British took over the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam; two of these counties were later abolished, their land going to Massachusetts. The newes ...
* List of county routes in Rensselaer County, New York
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Rensselaer County, New York
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Rensselaer County homepage
*
''Hudson Valley Directory''
listings pertaining to Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County Sheriff's Department
{{authority control
1791 establishments in New York (state)
New York (state) counties
Populated places established in 1791