Rochester is a home rule-class city in Butler County,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, United States, at the confluence of the

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...

and Mud rivers. The population was 114 as of the 2020 Census

History

Rochester is rooted in an early pioneer settlement known as "The Mouth" for its strategic location at the confluence of the Green and Mud rivers. In the early 19th century, an early settler named Thomas Riddick platted a town at this location known as "Suffolk" on his father's Revolutionary War land grant, though the town was not successful. The city was established in the 1830s and incorporated in 1839. It is named for

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. There is a connection to

, but it is not named "for" it. Documentation of the Rochester family, in a book ''“The House of Rochester in Kentucky” by Mrs. Agatha Rochester Strange'' published in/around 1889, indicates that Rochester, KY was settled by William Strother Lewis McDowell (b. Jun 24, 1819) thanks to the dedication and management from his mother, Nancy “Ann” Jordan Rochester (1797-1856).

Geography

Rochester is located in western Butler County at (37.210712, -86.892483). Its northwestern boundary, the Green River, is the county boundary as well, with Ohio County on the opposite side of the river. A small portion of the western boundary of the city is formed by the Mud River, which is also the boundary with Muhlenberg County.

Kentucky Route 70 Kentucky Route 70 (KY 70) is a long east-east state highway that originates at a junction with U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in Smithland in Livingston County, just east of the Ohio River. The route continues through the counties of Crittend ...

(Rochester Road) passes through the city, leading east to Morgantown, the Butler County seat, and west to Drakesboro. Kentucky Route 369 leaves Rochester to the north, crossing the Green River by the Rochester

Ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

and leading north to

Beaver Dam A beaver dam or beaver impoundment is a dam built by beavers to create a pond which protects against predators such as coyotes, wolves and bears, and holds their food during winter. These structures modify the natural environment in such a way t ...

. Rochester Dam is located along the Green River just west of Rochester. 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 th ...

, Rochester has a total area of , of which , or 5.46%, is water.

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 2000, there were 186 people, 81 households, and 57 families residing in the city. 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 423.6 people per square mile (163.2/km). There were 102 housing units at an average density of 232.3 per square mile (89.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 100.00%

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 ...

. There were 81 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% 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, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.75. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 18.3% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $33,472. Males had a median income of $36,563 versus $16,875 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 city was $36,708. About 9.0% of families and 8.7% 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 none of those under the age of eighteen and 13.3% of those 65 or over.

References

External links

*
Rochester Ferry
{{authority control Cities in Butler County, Kentucky Cities in Kentucky