Putnam County is a county located in the state of New York. As of 2000, the population is 95,745. The county seat is Carmel. The name is in honor of Israel Putnam, who was a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War.

History

When New York State established its first twelve counties in 1683, the present Putnam County was part of Dutchess County. Dutchess County also included two towns in the present Columbia County. Until 1713, Dutchess County was administered by Ulster County.  In 1812, Putnam County was detached from Dutchess. The six townships comprising the county had reached their current names and boundaries by 1877.

Geography

Putnam County is located in southeastern New York State, between the Hudson River on its west and the New York-Connecticut border on its east, south of Poughkeepsie.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 638 km (246 mi). 599 km (231 mi) of it is land and 39 km (15 mi) of it is water. The total area is 6.08% water.  The terrain of the county is generally hilly. The region of the county nearest the Hudson River is especially so and is part of the Hudson Highlands.  The highest point is in that range, on Scofield Ridge, at approximately 469 m (1,540 feet) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the Hudson.

Demographics

As of 2016 Census estimates, there were 98,900 people and 34,102 households in the county, with 2.84 persons per household. The population density was 432.9 people per square mile (160/km²). 50.1% of the population was female. The racial makeup of the county was 79.6% White alone, not hispanic or Latino, 3.3% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, 1.8% from two or more races and 14.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 12.6% of the population was foreign born.  4.4% of the population was under the age of 5, 20.5% under the age of 18, and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.4 years.  The median income for a household in the county was $97,606, and the per capita income was $41,993. 5.2% of the population was in poverty.  92.7% of the population at least 25 years old had a high school degree or higher, and 38.9% had a bachelor degree or higher.  There were 38,332 housing units, 82.0% of which were owner occupied. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $354,800.

(Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia...wikipedia.org)
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