Rockland County is a county located in the state of New York. As of 2000, the population is 286,753. The county seat is New City.  The name from "rocky land," an early description of the area given by settlers. Rockland is the southern most county west of the Hudson River in New York State.

History

When New York State established its first twelve counties in 1683, the present Rockland County was part of Orange County.  In 1798, Rockland County was split from Orange County.

Geography

Rockland County lies just north of the New Jersey-New York border, west of the Hudson River, and northwest of New York City. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 516 km (199 mi). 451 km (174 mi) of it is land and 65 km (25 mi) of it is water. The total area is 12.60% water.  The highest elevation in the county is Rockhouse Mountain, at 391 m (1,283 feet). However, nearby Jackie Jones Mountain also has a summit above 390 m (1,280 feet) whose exact elevation is not known and may well be higher.  The lowest elevation is sea level along the Hudson River.

Demographics

As of the Census of 2000, there are 286,753 people, 92,675 households, and 70,989 families residing in the county. The population density is 636/km (1,646/mi). There are 94,973 housing units at an average density of 210/km (545/mi). The racial makeup of the county is 76.91% White, 10.98% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 5.52% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 3.78% from other races, and 2.51% from two or more races. 10.18% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 92,675 households out of which 37.60% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.80% are married couples living together, 10.30% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% are non-families. 19.30% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.80% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.01 and the average family size is 3.47.

In the county the population is spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $67,971, and the median income for a family is $78,806. Males have a median income of $51,148 versus $37,032 for females. The per capita income for the county is $28,082. 9.50% of the population and 6.30% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.30% of those under the age of 18 and 7.60% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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