The first public libraries were opened in 1811 and school libraries started operating in 1835. Genesee County's present population is approximately 59,400. Industries have been established in both Batavia and LeRoy. Land has always been the county's biggest asset. Prosperous farms have made Genesee one of the principal counties in the nation in the production of table beets and it is a leading New York county in acreage of corn, wheat and vegetables.
Dairy farming is the largest source of agricultural revenue.
The county also has mineral deposits of gypsum, limestone, natural gas and salt. The varied landscape of Genesee county ranges from the low lying areas of the Bergen swamp in the north to the rolling hills which define the southern border.