Brighton, Monroe County, New York

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Brighton is also a town in Franklin County, New York, USA.

Brighton is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 35,588 at the 2000 census.

1 History
2 Education
3 Government
4 Geography
5 Demographics
6 Notable residents
7 External links

[edit] History

The Town of Brighton, located on the southeast border of the city of Rochester, was originally settled approximately 1790, and formally established in 1814—earning it recognition as one of the oldest towns in Monroe County. Named for Brighton, England, it remained a farming and brick-making community until the 20th century, when it began its evolution into an upscale suburban residential area, occupying some 15 square miles. In 1999, the town purchased 64 acres (259,000 m²) with the intention of developing a central park. Today, that area is Buckland Park, host to several playgrounds and sports fields, as well as easy access from the Canal Path (see below).

[edit] Education

The area is served by the Brighton Central School District, which frequently earns high positions in Newsweek national rankings (5th in 1998).

[edit] Government

Brighton is governed by an elected town council, consisting of a supervisor and four town council members. The supervisor is elected to a two-year term. The council members serve four-year terms. Voters also elect two town justices and a town clerk. Town justices serve a four-year term, and the clerk is elected to a two-year term. In 2005, the voters elected Sandra Frankel to her eighth term as supervisor. As of February, 2004, the town board consisted of James R. Vogel, Raymond Tierney III, Jill Vigdor Feldman and Sherry Krause. Unlike most other suburbs of Rochester, Brighton tends to elect mostly Democrats to town government positions.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.5 km² (15.6 mi²). 40.0 km² (15.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.09%) is water.

In terms of latitude and longitude, Brighton is located at 43°7′24″N, 77°34′5″W

Brighton has lacked a central village since the city of Rochester annexed the area around East Avenue and Winton Road, formerly the village of Brighton, in 1905. The central commercial and entertainment hub is the 12 Corners, so named because three intersecting roads, Winton Road, Monroe Avenue and Elmwood Avenue, define 12 distinct corners. Also, both the High School (Brighton High School) and the Middle School (Twelve Corners Middle School) are located at 12 corners. Brighton is bordered by the city of Rochester to the northwest, the town of Henrietta to the south, and the towns of Pittsford and Penfield to the east. Brighton is located some 60 miles from Buffalo, and 90 miles from Syracuse. The Erie Canal courses through Brighton, accompanied by the acclaimed Erie Canal Heritage Trail, one of the longest continuous stretches of maintained off-road trail in the United States.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 35,588 people, 15,854 households, and 8,687 families residing in the town. The population density was 888.8/km² (2,302.5/mi²). There were 16,705 housing units at an average density of 417.2 persons/km² (1,080.8 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.09% White, 3.70% African American, 0.10% Native American, 8.13% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.34% of the population.

There were 15,854 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 6.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 45.2% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,066, and the median income for a family was $70,436. Males had a median income of $46,292 versus $35,171 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,642. 6.1% of the population and 3.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.9% are under the age of 18 and 5.2% are 65 or older.

See also: Brighton (CDP), New York