Monroe County, New York

Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, located along Lake Ontario's southern shore. As of 2025, the population was 750,506, according to Census Bureau estimates. Its county seat and largest city is Rochester. The county is named after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States. Monroe County is part of the upstate Rochester, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is part of the Finger Lakes region of the state. History When counties were established in the province of New York in 1683, the present Monroe County was part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of the State of New York as well as all of the present State of Vermont and, in theory, extending westward to the Pacific Ocean. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation of Cumberland County, and further on March 16, 1770, by the creation of Gloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont. On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Tryon County, contained the western portion (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately five miles west of the present city of Schenectady, and the county included the western part of the Adirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of the Delaware River. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of the State of New York. The county was named for William Tryon, colonial governor of New York. In the years prior to 1776, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County fled to Canada. In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War, the name of Tryon County was changed to Montgomery County in order to honor the general, Richard Montgomery, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of Quebec, replacing the name of the hated British governor. In 1789, Ontario County was split off from Montgomery. The actual area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, also including the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Steuben, Wyoming, Yates, and part of Schuyler and Wayne counties. Genesee County was created by a splitting of Ontario County in 1802. This was much larger than the present Genesee County, however. It contained the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming, and portions of Livingston and Monroe counties. Finally, Monroe County was formed from parts of Genesee and Ontario counties in 1821. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county's total area is 1,367 square miles (3,540 km2), of which 657 square miles (1,700 km2) is land and 710 square miles (1,800 km2) (52%) is water. Monroe County is in Western State of New York's northern tier, northeast of Buffalo and northwest of Syracuse. The northern county line is also the state line and the border of the United States, marked by Lake Ontario. Monroe County is north of the Finger Lakes. Adjacent counties Wayne County - east Ontario County - southeast Livingston County - south Orleans County - west Genesee County - southwest Major highways Government and politics Monroe County was chartered as a municipal corporation by the New York State Legislature in 1892 and rechartered under New York's Municipal Home Rule Law in 1965. From 1856 to 1932, Monroe County voters voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election apart from 1912. Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson was able to win the county in 1912 when the Republican vote was divided between then incumbent president William Howard Taft and former president Theodore Roosevelt. Monroe County voted for incumbent Democratic presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt (1936, 1940, 1944) and Harry S. Truman (1948). From 1952 to 1976, Monroe County voted for the Republican candidate in all presidential elections except for Lyndon B. Johnson's Democratic landslide in 1964. In 1980, incumbent Democratic president Jimmy Carter won Monroe County, despite having lost in the county to Republican Gerald Ford in 1976. Monroe County went back to voting Republican in 1984 and 1988, but has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate every time from 1992 onwards, including the 2024 election. In 2020, Joe Biden received the highest percentage of the vote for a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide. In recent years, the urban area's traditional partisan dynamic appears to have begun shifting in the Democratic Party's favor at the local level. A Democrat won the 2017 race for county sheriff for the first time in decades, in 2019 Democrat Adam Bello was elected county executive after over 30 years of Republican control, in 2020 democrats Samra Brouk and Jeremy Cooney flipped state senate districts long held by the GOP, and the traditionally Republican county legislature is now split 18-11 in favor of the Democratic Party. This matches a broader national trend of increased Democratic success in suburban areas. Executive branch The county's executive branch is headed by the county executive, Adam Bello. The executive's office is on the first floor of the county office building on West Main Street in Rochester. The county clerk is Jamie Romeo, a Democrat. The county was exclusively governed by a board of supervisors for the first 114 years of its history. In 1935, the position of county manager, appointed by the board, was approved by popular referendum. In 1983, the position was replaced by a county executive, directly elected by popular vote, with expanded powers (e.g., veto). In 1993, the legislature enacted term limits for the executive office of 12 consecutive years to start in 1996. Sheriff The Monroe County Sheriff's office (MCSO) provides law enforcement and has the constitutional authority to operate the county jail and provide civil functions. As with most counties in New York, the MCSO also performs a range of police services and provides physical and operational security to the courts. The MCSO is led by a sheriff who is elected by the residents of Monroe County, serving a 4-year term. The sheriff is considered the highest police official in the county, followed by an appointed undersheriff and subordinate chief deputy. The Monroe County Sheriff is Todd K. Baxter, a Democrat. Organizationally, the office is composed of numerous bureaus, each responsible for a given scope of functional operations. The jail bureau is the largest component of the sheriff's office, overseeing an inmate population of around 1,000. Under the New York State Constitution, the sheriff is the warden of the county jail. The police bureau of the sheriff's office operates a sizable road patrol force which serves municipalities within Monroe County that do not independently enforce traffic. They are also responsible for primary police patrols at the Greater Rochester International Airport and parks throughout the county. Deputies assigned to the marine unit patrol the coastline of Lake Ontario as well as Irondequoit Bay. The police bureau further employs a mounted unit, bomb squad, SWAT team, hostage recovery, criminal investigations, scuba, and canine units. The court security bureau provides security at the Hall of Justice as well as at the state appellate court building. In 2011, the uniforms were named the 2011 Public Safety Uniform Award in the County Sheriff's/Police Department category by the North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD). Legislative branch The county's legislative branch consists of a 29-member county legislature which replaced the earlier 43-member board of supervisors on January 1, 1967. Members meet in the legislative chambers on the fourth floor of the county office building. All 29 members of the legislature are elected from districts. There are 16 Democrats and 13 Republicans. The president of the legislature is Yversha Román, a Democrat. In 1993, the legislature enacted term limits of 10 consecutive years to start in 1996. Legislators can return to the office after not being in the legislature for a term. Since the enacting of term limits, as of 2024 four legislators (Stephanie Aldersley, Karla Boyce, Calvin Lee Jr., and Robert Colby) returned after previously leaving due to the term limit; Boyce was reelected again three times; Lee and Colby were appointed to fill vacancies before subsequently being reelected themselves; and Aldersley was appointed before being defeated for reelection. Judicial branch Monroe County Court Monroe County Family Court, for matters involving children Monroe County Surrogates Court, for matters involving the deceased Representation at the federal level After redistricting based on the 2020 United States census, New York's 27th district was eliminated and Monroe County went from being split between two congressional districts to being wholly contained in one: Representation at the state level New York State Senate After redistricting based on the 2020 United States census, Monroe County was split among four state senate districts: New York State Assembly After redistricting based on the 2020 United States census, Monroe County was split among eight state assembly districts: Courts Monroe County is part of The 7th Judicial District of the New York Supreme Court. The 4th Division of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division Law enforcement Monroe County has eleven police forces, with residents of a number of towns relying on the county sheriff for law enforcement duties. Economy Monroe County is a home to a number of international businesses, including Eastman Kodak, Paychex, and Pictometry International, all of which make Monroe County their world headquarters. While no longer headquartered in Rochester, Xerox has its largest manufacturing facilities in Monroe County, and Bausch and Lomb was headquartered in Rochester until it was acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Monroe County is also home to regional businesses such as Wegmans, Roberts Communications, Inc., Holding Corp., and major fashion label Hickey Freeman. High technology Tech Valley, the technologically recognized area of eastern New York State, has spawned a western offshoot into the Rochester, Monroe County, and Finger Lakes areas of New York State. Since the 2000s, as the more established companies in Rochester downsized, the economy of Rochester and Monroe County has been redirected toward high technology, with new, smaller companies providing the seed capital necessary for business foundation. The Rochester and Monroe County area is important in the field of photographic processing and imaging as well as incubating an increasingly diverse high technology sphere encompassing STEM fields, in part the result of private startup enterprises collaborating with major academic institutions, including the University of Rochester and Cornell University. Given the high prevalence of imaging and optical science among the industry and the universities, Rochester is known as the world capital of imaging. The Institute of Optics of the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology in nearby Henrietta both have imaging programs. Major employers Several industries occupy a major portion of the jobs located regionally, with health care comprising a significant portion of jobs in Monroe County. The University of Rochester (including its numerous hospitals) is the largest employer regionally with over 27,000 workers; Rochester Regional Health (parent company of Rochester General and Unity hospitals) is the second largest consisting of over 15,000. Wegmans is third with about 13,000 local employees. Demographics 2020 census As of the census of 2020, there were 759,443 people, 301,948 households, and 232,500 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,155 inhabitants per square mile (446/km2). There were 330,247 housing units at an average density of 502 units per square mile (194 units/km2). The county's racial makeup was 68.6% White, 15.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.3% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.0% from other races, and 7.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.6% of the population. 18.6% were of Italian, 15.3% German, 11.3% Irish and 8.3% English ancestry according to Census 2000. In 2007, 4.64% of the population reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.43% spoke Italian. There were 301,948 households, out of which 54% were married couples living together, 18% had a female householder with no husband present, 6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23% were non-families. The average household size was 2.37. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21% being 18 or younger, 15% from 19 to 29, 13% from 30 to 39, 11% from 40 to 49, 14% from 50 to 59, 12% from 60 to 69, and 13% who were 70 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. 52% of the population was Female, and 48% was Male The median income for a household in the county was $62,103. The per capita income for the county was $35,797. About 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over. 90.4% of those 25 years or over was a High school graduate or higher, and 38.6% of those 25 years or over had a Bachelor's degree or higher. According to the U.S. Religion Census of 2020, 380,869 county residents, 50.2% of the county population, adhere to a Religion. Of the 50.2% of Religious adherents, 27.5% (209,584) are Catholic, 9.4% (71,670) are Protestant, 6.0% (46,140) are Nondenominational Christians, 2.4% (18,648) are Muslim, 1.2% (9,054) are Hindu, 1.1% (8,562) are Jewish, 0.6% (5,230) are Jehovah's Witnesses, 0.6% (4,912) are Mormon, 0.5% (4,474) are Buddhist, and 0.3% (2,595) are Eastern Orthodox. Education Primary and secondary education The public school systems educates the overwhelming majority of Monroe County's children. The schools operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester or Roman Catholic religious orders educate the next largest segment of children, although collectively, they are a distant second. Public schools There are some 25 public school districts that serve Monroe County, including the Rochester City School District, 10 suburban school districts in Monroe #1 BOCES, seven in Monroe #2–Orleans BOCES, and several primarily serving other counties (Avon, Byron–Bergen, Caledonia–Mumford, Holley, Wayne, Williamson and Victor central school districts). Private schools There are three private schools that serve more than 200 students each: Allendale Columbia School, a college preparatory school in Pittsford The Harley School, a college preparatory school in Brighton Mary Cariola Children's Center serving children with multiple, complex disabilities in the city There is one small, but historically significant school: Rochester School for the Deaf in the city Parochial schools There are three small Judaic schools and two small Islamic schools. There are about ten primary schools operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. There are four senior high schools (or combined junior/senior high schools) operated by or in the tradition of a Roman Catholic religious order: There are more than two dozen schools operated by various sects of Christianity, two of which serve more than 200 students: Colleges and universities The county is home to nine colleges and universities: Bryant & Stratton College in Greece and Henrietta Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in the city Monroe Community College in Brighton with a campus in the city Nazareth University in Pittsford Roberts Wesleyan College in Chili Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Pittsford St. John Fisher University in Pittsford SUNY Brockport (also known as the State University of New York Brockport) in Brockport with a campus in Rochester University of Rochester in Rochester Additionally, three colleges maintain satellite campuses in Monroe County: The Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations maintains an office in the city Empire State College maintains the Genesee Valley Learning Center in Irondequoit Ithaca College's Department of Physical Therapy leases part of the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School facility for teaching and research Parks and recreation County parks The following is a list of parks owned and maintained by Monroe County: State parks The following is a list of parks owned and maintained by New York State: Hamlin Beach State Park Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park Golf courses Arrowhead Golf Course & Marina Deerfield Golf & Country Club Durand Eastman Golf Course Genesee Valley Golf Course Majestic Hills Golf Course Mill Creek Golf Club Morgan's Crossing Monroe Golf Club Shadow Lake Golf & Racquet Club Timber Ridge Golf Club White Birch Golf Course Communities Larger settlements Towns Hamlets In New York, the term hamlet, while not defined in law, is used to describe an unincorporated community and geographic location within a town. The town in which each hamlet is located is in parentheses. See also List of people from Rochester, New York Monroe County, New York Sheriff's Office National Register of Historic Places listings in Monroe County, New York References Further reading Federal Writers' Project. New York (State) (1937). Rochester and Monroe County. Rochester, New York: Scrantom's. Retrieved November 11, 2013. Lee, Florence. Pleasant Valley: An Early History of Monroe County and Region. New York: Carlton Press, 1970. Raines, Thomas; et al. (1895). Landmarks of Monroe County, New York. Boston: The Boston History Company. Retrieved November 10, 2013. Sherwood, D. A. (2003). Water Resources of Monroe County, New York, Water Years 1997-99, with Emphasis on Water Quality in the Irondequoit Creek Basin : Atmospheric Deposition, Ground Water, Streamflow, Trends in Water Quality, and Chemical Loads to Irondequoit Bay [Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4221]. Ithaca, New York: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Sullivan, James; Williams, Melvin E.; Conklin, Edwin P.; Fitzpatrick, Benedict, eds. (1927), "Chapter I. Monroe County.", History of New York State, 1523–1927 (PDF), vol. 2, New York City, Chicago: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., p. 665-72, hdl:2027/mdp.39015019994048, Wikidata Q114149636 External links Official webpage