Olcott is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

(and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

) located in the Town of Newfane in

Niagara County Niagara County is in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 212,666. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word ''Onguiaahra''; meaning ''the strait'' or ''thunder of waters''. Niaga ...

, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, this community population was 1,241. Most locals refer to it as Olcott Beach. It is part of the Buffalo–

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...

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 ...

. Olcott is a lakeside community which is home to the deepest harbor on

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border ...

west of

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

. The community is at the junction of East/West Lake Road ( NYS Route 18) and Lockport-Olcott Road ( NYS Route 78). Krull Park in the northeast part of the village, is the largest county-operated park in Niagara County. Olcott-Newfane Airport (D80) is located south of the village, but is closed indefinitely except for ultralight aircraft. Olcott was known for its Coney Island-like beach attractions and attracted tourists visiting nearby

. Many of these attractions have closed, however, after the decline of the City of Niagara Falls and a prolonged economic downturn which has hard hit all of Niagara County. Slowly, efforts are being made to bring back this economic prosperity that the region once saw, and so far has been a success in Olcott. Heritage tourism has become quite popular in Niagara County, and new festivals include the ''Olcott Pirate Festival'' as well as a famous car show that takes place during the summer. In 2012, Olcott Beach won the prestigious title of Ultimate Fishing Town in a contest sponsored by The World Fishing Network (WFN). Olcott Beach enjoys a superior reputation as a world-class fishing destination by sportsmen and hobbyists alike. The U.S. prize was awarded to Olcott Beach, and the Canadian prize was awarded to

Hastings, Ontario Hastings is a community within the municipality of Trent Hills, Northumberland County, in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Trans Canada Trail in what is considered to be Ontario's "cottage co ...

, both located by the shores of

Geography

Olcott is located at . According to the

United States 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 t ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and (13.56%) is water. Olcott is located on the south shore of

, where Eighteen Mile Creek enters the lake.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 1,156 people, 476 households, and 315 families residing in the community. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 251.7 per square mile (97.2/km²). There were 553 housing units at an average density of 120.4/sq mi (46.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.37%

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 o ...

, 1.04%

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 ...

, 0.78% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.78% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.61% from two or more races.

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 forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.82% of the population. There were 476 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.93. In the village the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males. The median income for a household in the community was $42,386, and the median income for a family was $52,000. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $22,344 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 CDP was $17,599. About 5.3% of families and 8.4% 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 t ...

, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

* http://www.olcott-newfane.com/ {{authority control Hamlets in New York (state) Census-designated places in New York (state) Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area Census-designated places in Niagara County, New York Hamlets in Niagara County, New York Populated places on Lake Ontario in the United States