PROFILBARU.COM

Sullivan County
Sullivan County
County
	Stream in the hamlet of Rock Hill
	Flag Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of New York
	New York's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 41°43′N 74°46′W / 41.72°N 74.76°W
Country	United States
State	New York
Founded	1809
Named for	John Sullivan
Seat	Monticello
Largest village	Monticello
Area
• Total	997 sq mi (2,580 km2)
• Land	968 sq mi (2,510 km2)
• Water	29 sq mi (80 km2) 2.9%
Population (2020)
• Total	78,624
• Density	81.2/sq mi (31.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	19th
Website	sullivanny.us

Sullivan County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,624.^[2] The county seat is Monticello.^[3] The county's name honors Major General John Sullivan, who was labeled at the time as a hero in the American Revolutionary War in part due to his successful campaign against the Iroquois (see Sullivan Expedition). The county is part of the Hudson Valley region of the state.

The county was the site of hundreds of Borscht Belt hotels and resorts, which had their heyday from the 1920s through the 1970s.

In 2010, the state's center of population was at the southern edge of Sullivan County.^[4]

History

When the Province of New York established its first twelve counties in 1683, the present Sullivan County was part of Ulster County. In 1809, Sullivan County was split from Ulster County.^[5]

In the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution and the advent of factories driven by water power along the streams and rivers led to an increase in population attracted to the jobs.^[6] Hamlets enlarged into towns. As industry restructured, many of those jobs left before the middle of the twentieth century. The economy changed again after that, shifting to a more tourist-based variety and benefiting from resorts established by European Jewish immigrants and their descendants in what became called the Borscht Belt of the 20th century. Resort hotels featured a wide variety of entertainers, some nationally known. At the beginning of this period, visitors traveled to the area by train, and later by automobile.^[7] The area's natural resources also provided a setting for numerous summer camps frequented by the children of immigrants and their descendants.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 997 square miles (2,580 km²), of which 968 square miles (2,510 km²) is land and 29 square miles (75 km²) (2.9%) is water.^[8]

Sullivan County is in the southern part of New York State, southeast of Binghamton and southwest of Albany. It is separated from Pennsylvania along its southwest boundary by the Delaware River.

The county, which starts about 70 miles northwest of New York City, is in the Catskill Mountains. Its northeastern corner is within the Catskill Park.

The highest point in the county is a 3,118-foot (950 m) peak unofficially known as Beech Mountain, near Hodge Pond, a subsidiary summit to Mongaup Mountain^[9] across the Ulster County line. The lowest point is along the Delaware River.^[10]

Adjacent counties

Delaware County - north
Ulster County - northeast
Orange County - southeast
Pike County, Pennsylvania - southwest
Wayne County, Pennsylvania - west

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	6,108	—
1820	8,900	45.7%
1830	12,364	38.9%
1840	15,629	26.4%
1850	25,088	60.5%
1860	32,385	29.1%
1870	34,550	6.7%
1880	32,491	−6.0%
1890	31,031	−4.5%
1900	32,306	4.1%
1910	33,808	4.6%
1920	33,163	−1.9%
1930	35,272	6.4%
1940	37,901	7.5%
1950	40,731	7.5%
1960	45,272	11.1%
1970	52,580	16.1%
1980	65,155	23.9%
1990	69,277	6.3%
2000	73,966	6.8%
2010	77,547	4.8%
2020	78,624	1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census^[11] 1790-1960^[12] 1900-1990^[13] 1990-2000^[14] 2010-2020^[2]

As of the 2000 census,^[15] there were 73,966 people, 27,661 households, and 18,311 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile (29 people/km²). There were 44,730 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.31% White, 8.51% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.89% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 9.25% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.6% were of German, 13.9% Irish, 12.5% Italian, 7.3% American and 6.2% English ancestry according to 2000 census. 86.6% spoke English, 7.4% Spanish and 1.0% German as their first language. A small population of Russians, late twentieth-century immigrants, live in the villages. There are a few persons in Sullivan and nearby counties who are of mixed Dutch and Mohawk or Lenni-Lenape ancestry in this region of upstate New York, the legacy of indigenous peoples in the region and the New Netherlands colonial era in the 17th century.^{[citation needed]}

There were 27,661 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.10% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,998, and the median income for a family was $43,458. Males had a median income of $36,110 versus $25,754 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,892. About 11.60% of families and 17.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 10.70% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

Sullivan County Racial Composition^[16]
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	52,691	67.01%
Black or African American (NH)	6,069	7.72%
Native American (NH)	174	0.2%
Asian (NH)	1,569	2.0%
Pacific Islander (NH)	10	0.01%
Other/Mixed (NH)	4,104	5.22%
Hispanic or Latino	14,007	17.81%

National protected area

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (part)

Government and politics

Sullivan County is a swing county, backing the national winner in all but three presidential elections from 1952 to the present. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry by a margin of 49.47% to 48.55%, or a difference of 285 votes.^[17] In 2008, however, it was won by Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain by a margin of 54% to 45%.^[18] The margin remained virtually the same in 2012, as Obama won the county again over Republican Mitt Romney by 54-45%.^[19] But then, in 2016, the county swung to Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton by a margin of 53% to 42%.^[20] In 2020, the county didn't back the winner nationally for the first time since 2000. Incumbent Republican President Donald Trump won the county with 54% of the votes that year compared to the national winner Democrat Joe Biden's 45%.^[21]

There are thirty-six town and village courts in Sullivan County.^[22]

Legislative authority is vested in the county legislature which consists of nine members, each elected from single member districts. Currently, there are five Democrats and four Republicans.

**Sullivan County Legislature**
District	Legislator	Title	Party
1 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine	Matt McPhillips	Majority Leader	Democratic
2 Archived January 18, 2020, at the Wayback Machine	Nadia Rajsz	Chair	Democratic
3 Archived January 20, 2020, at the Wayback Machine	Brian McPhillips		Democratic
4 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine	Nicholas Salomone, Jr.	Minority Leader	Republican
5 Archived February 13, 2020, at the Wayback Machine	Catherine Scott		Democratic
6 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine	Luis Alvarez		Democratic
7 Archived January 24, 2020, at the Wayback Machine	Joseph Perrello		Republican
8 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine	Amanda Ward		Republican
9 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine	Terry Blosser-Bernardo		Republican

United States presidential election results for Sullivan County, New York^[23]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	20,386	58.14%	14,549	41.50%	127	0.36%
2020	18,665	53.87%	15,489	44.71%	492	1.42%
2016	15,931	53.18%	12,568	41.96%	1,456	4.86%
2012	12,705	44.71%	15,268	53.73%	442	1.56%
2008	13,900	44.58%	16,850	54.04%	433	1.39%
2004	15,319	49.47%	15,034	48.55%	613	1.98%
2000	12,703	44.53%	14,348	50.29%	1,477	5.18%
1996	9,321	33.00%	15,052	53.29%	3,871	13.71%
1992	11,396	36.02%	13,717	43.36%	6,522	20.62%
1988	15,713	57.00%	11,635	42.20%	220	0.80%
1984	18,037	63.09%	10,475	36.64%	78	0.27%
1980	15,089	55.44%	9,553	35.10%	2,576	9.46%
1976	13,709	48.79%	14,189	50.50%	198	0.70%
1972	17,035	63.24%	9,847	36.55%	56	0.21%
1968	11,657	48.17%	10,860	44.88%	1,681	6.95%
1964	8,006	32.31%	16,728	67.52%	41	0.17%
1960	13,744	54.37%	11,486	45.44%	49	0.19%
1956	15,845	63.94%	8,937	36.06%	0	0.00%
1952	14,926	63.26%	8,421	35.69%	247	1.05%
1948	11,253	53.20%	7,654	36.19%	2,245	10.61%
1944	11,258	55.82%	8,836	43.81%	73	0.36%
1940	11,877	54.64%	9,785	45.01%	76	0.35%
1936	9,757	48.83%	9,908	49.58%	317	1.59%
1932	8,294	44.79%	9,656	52.15%	567	3.06%
1928	10,331	61.27%	6,207	36.81%	323	1.92%
1924	7,734	56.85%	4,057	29.82%	1,813	13.33%
1920	8,029	64.45%	3,623	29.08%	806	6.47%
1916	4,340	53.05%	3,659	44.73%	182	2.22%
1912	3,039	37.56%	3,864	47.75%	1,189	14.69%
1908	4,593	52.52%	3,911	44.72%	242	2.77%
1904	4,452	54.37%	3,582	43.74%	155	1.89%
1900	4,393	53.92%	3,625	44.49%	130	1.60%
1896	4,589	58.35%	3,073	39.08%	202	2.57%
1892	3,664	48.28%	3,567	47.00%	358	4.72%
1888	3,860	49.66%	3,757	48.33%	156	2.01%
1884	3,332	45.31%	3,607	49.05%	415	5.64%

Education

Public school districts

Higher education

Sullivan County Community College is located in the hamlet of Loch Sheldrake in the town of Fallsburg.

Transportation

Sullivan County has services provided by Short Line to New York City. It also has some local service provided by the county itself, as well as community organizations.^[24]^[25]^[26]

Sullivan County International Airport is located in Bethel and is used frequently for general aviation purposes.

Major roadways

Tourism

Sullivan County has been a popular vacation spot since the 19th century, with mountain climbing, boating, and other outdoor activities, as well as the Monticello Raceway being among the attractions. The majority of the tourism occurs in the summer months. It was the site of the hundreds of resort complexes of the Borscht Belt (with their golf courses, social events, and entertainers), between the 1920s and 1970s.

Borscht Belt hotels, bungalow colonies, summer camps, and kuchaleyns (a Yiddish name for self-catered boarding houses) proliferated. The bungalows usually included "a kitchen/living room/dinette, one bedroom, and a screened porch" with entertainment being simple: bingo or a movie.^[27] The kuchaleyns were also visited often by middle and working-class Jewish New Yorkers. Because of the many Jewish guests, this area was nicknamed the Jewish Alps and "Solomon County" (a modification of Sullivan County) by many people who visited there.^[28]

Many famous comedians tested their material and performed regularly at Borscht Belt hotels, including Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, and Henny Youngman. Eddie Fisher performed often at Grossinger's, where in 1955 he married Debbie Reynolds.

By the late 1950s, many began closing with most gone by the 1970s, but some major resorts continued to operate, a few into the 1990s. Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel closed in 1986^[29] and the Concord Resort Hotel struggled to stay open until 1998.^[30] By that time, the business owed millions in back taxes to Sullivan County, but the property was sold "for $10.5 million" and a new resort was eventually built.^[31]^[32]

Sullivan County was the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival located at the present-day Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. During the period August 15–18, 1969, approximately 500,000 people gathered in Sullivan County's Town of Bethel at Max Yasgur's farm to attend the Woodstock Festival. The entertainers included The Who; the Grateful Dead; Jefferson Airplane; The Band; Canned Heat; Joan Baez; Arlo Guthrie; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Janis Joplin; Santana; Sly and the Family Stone; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Jimi Hendrix; and Richie Havens. The state and the town of Bethel council subsequently passed laws prohibiting future mass event types of festivals. In 2019, a 50th celebration of Woodstock was organized: "Sullivan County ... finally embracing the ultimate symbol of peace and love, the 1969 Woodstock festival".^[33] The Woodstock 50 festival, scheduled for August, was canceled months earlier so it did not take place.^[34] The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts did organize of weekend of "low-key" concerts.^[35]

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which also includes a museum of the sixties and Woodstock, holds many concerts and other events throughout the year.

Other notable cultural destinations include the CAS Arts Center, a multi-arts exhibit space and education center run by the Catskill Art Society in Livingston Manor, New York, the NaCl Theatre, a professional regional theater company focusing on experimental work in Highland Lake, and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA) which serves as the Arts Council for Sullivan County and is located in Narrowsburg. DVAA offers two art galleries, performing arts and cultural programming, grant opportunities for artists and nonprofits, the Big Eddy Film Festival, and Riverfest.