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Tompkins, New York facts for kids

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Tompkins, New York
Town hall, in Trout Creek
Town hall, in Trout Creek
Tompkins, New York is located in New York
Tompkins, New York
Tompkins, New York
Location in New York
Country United States
State New York
County Delaware
Government
 • Type Town Council
Area
 • Total 104.45 sq mi (270.52 km2)
 • Land 98.13 sq mi (254.16 km2)
 • Water 6.31 sq mi (16.35 km2)
Elevation
1,155 ft (352 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,290
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
13754
FIPS code 36-025-74111
GNIS feature ID 0979549

Tompkins is a small town located in Delaware County, New York, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,290 people lived there.

The town got its name from Daniel D. Tompkins. He was an important person in New York's history. Daniel D. Tompkins served as the fourth governor of New York. He was also the sixth vice president of the United States. Tompkins is located in the western part of Delaware County.

History of Tompkins

The town of Tompkins was first created in 1806. It was formed from a part of another town called Franklin. Later, in 1880, the western part of Tompkins was used to create a new town. This new town was named Deposit.

Geography of Tompkins

Tompkins covers a total area of about 270.5 square kilometers (104.5 square miles). Most of this area is land, about 254.2 square kilometers (98.1 square miles). The rest, about 16.4 square kilometers (6.3 square miles), is water.

A large body of water, the Cannonsville Reservoir, is located in the middle of the town. This reservoir is part of the West Branch Delaware River.

People of Tompkins

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 1,206
1830 1,774 47.1%
1840 2,035 14.7%
1850 3,022 48.5%
1860 3,589 18.8%
1870 4,046 12.7%
1880 2,534 −37.4%
1890 2,626 3.6%
1900 2,482 −5.5%
1910 2,127 −14.3%
1920 1,737 −18.3%
1930 1,665 −4.1%
1940 1,642 −1.4%
1950 1,680 2.3%
1960 1,463 −12.9%
1970 905 −38.1%
1980 968 7.0%
1990 994 2.7%
2000 1,105 11.2%
2010 1,247 12.9%
2020 1,290 3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 1,105 people living in Tompkins. These people lived in 445 households, and 315 of these were families. The town had about 11.2 people per square mile. There were 768 homes in the area.

Most of the people living in Tompkins were White (98.55%). A small number were African American (0.81%) or Native American (0.09%). Some people were from other backgrounds. About 1.18% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 28.5% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (58.2%) were married couples. About 24.5% of households were single people living alone. About 11.9% of these single people were 65 years or older.

The average household had 2.46 people. The average family had 2.90 people.

The population of Tompkins is spread out by age. About 23.1% were under 18 years old. About 25.3% were between 25 and 44 years old. The median age in the town was 42 years. This means half the people were younger than 42 and half were older.

The average income for a household in Tompkins was $35,227. For families, the average income was $38,583. About 8.9% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 6.4% of those under 18 and 17.3% of those 65 or older.

Places in Tompkins

Here are some of the smaller communities and important places you can find in the town of Tompkins:

  • Apex – A small community located southwest of Rock Rift.
  • Cannonsville Reservoir – A large water reservoir on the West Branch Delaware River.
  • Cleaver – A small community located northwest of Rock Rift.
  • Islamberg – A community near Deposit. It was started by Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani.
  • Kelsey – A small community located southwest of Apex.
  • Rock Rift – A small community located east of the Cannonsville Reservoir.
  • Trout Creek – A small community located northwest of Cleaver.
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