Caroline is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 3,282 at the 2010 census. It is on the county's southeast border, southeast of Ithaca.

History

The area was first settled circa 1794 while the region was still part of Tioga County. Caroline was part of the Watkins and Flint Purchase (1791). Caroline was formed from the town of Spencer (now in Tioga County) in 1811.

Notable people

Charles R. Gleason (1830-1907), Wisconsin businessman and politician, was born in Caroline. Austin Blair (1818-1894), 13th governor of Michigan.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 55.1 sqmi, of which 55.0 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.13%) is water. The east and south town lines are the border of Tioga County. New York State Route 79 crosses the town.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,910 people, 1,161 households, and 758 families residing in the town. The population density was 52.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,254 housing units at an average density of 22.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.85% White, 3.09% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.37% of the population. There were 1,161 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.99. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $43,315, and the median income for a family was $51,983. Males had a median income of $35,375 versus $26,587 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,531. About 6.9% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over. The majority of the residents of the Caroline area commute to the Ithaca area. The Town of Caroline is served by 4 school districts Ithaca (city), New York, Dryden (village), New York, Newark Valley (village), New York and Candor (village), New York. Caroline Elementary School serves the northern and central portions of the town. Brooktondale Baptist School, sponsored by Brooktondale Baptist Church, closed around 2002, although the parish community continues.

Communities and locations in Caroline

Education

Students in the town of Caroline are dispersed into several school districts: Dryden, Ithaca, Candor, and Newark Valley. A school located within the town is the Caroline Elementary School of the Ithaca City School District.