Data, News and Reports

Look no further! Here is where you will find information about our Town and Village. On this page, we provide demographics, information about the business climate, information of interest to retailers, and publications of the Economic Development office.

Demographics

The following demographics and statistics are taken from the April 2000 US Census, unless otherwise noted.  The geographic boundaries of the Town of Canton are inclusive of the Village of Canton; therefore the numbers shown for the Town include the Village.  Likewise, the totals shown for St. Lawrence County include the Town of Canton.

The population of Canton includes many life-long residents, as well as new local residents and a continually changing student population.

Total Population

Village

5,882

Town

10,334

County

111,931


Population Distribution by Age

Village

Town

County

Under 15 years

10.0%

15.2%

19.0%

15 to 19 years

22.1%

16.3%

9.3%

20 to 24 years

25.9%

16.9%

8.9%

25 to 34 years

8.3%

9.7%

12.2%

35 to 44 years

8.4%

12.1%

15.2%

45 to 59 years

11.3%

15.1%

18.3%

60 years and older

13.9%

14.7%

17.2%

Median Age (Years)

21.9

26.9

35.4


Number of Households

Village

1,531

Town

3,198

County

40,506

 

Average Household Size

Village

2.13 persons

Town

2.40 persons

County

2.49 persons


Number of Housing Units

Village

1,680

Town

13,515

County

49,721

 

Median value of owner-occupied housing units

Village

$74,400

Town

$68,500

County

$60,200

 

Median Monthly Rent Costs

Village

$423

Town

$439

County

$428


Annual Household Income (In 1999)

Village

Town

 

County

Under $15,000

22.3%

19.1%

21.6%

$15,000 to 24,999

13.8%

15.1%

16.7%

$25,000 to 34,999

9.1%

13.4%

15.3%

$35,000 to 49,999

18.3%

20.6%

17.7%

$50,000 to 74,999

16.5%

15.7%

17.3%

$75,000 to 99,999

11.9%

10.5%

6.8%

$100,000 and above

8.1%

5.6%

4.6%

Median Household Income

$36,875

$38,627

$32,356


Educational Attainment of Population 25 years & over

Village

Town

County

Less than 9th grade

2.5%

5.1%

6.7%

9th to 12th grade, no diploma

6.8%

9.5%

14.1%

High school graduate (includes equivalency)

18.5%

26.3%

37.7%

Some college, no degree

14.0%

15.1%

15.6%

Associate degree

13.7%

12.8%

9.4%

Bachelor's degree

18.4%

13.1%

8.5%

Graduate or professional degree

26.2%

18.0%

7.9%


Unemployment rates

Village

20.0%

Town

14.6%

County

8.5%


Percentage of Population below Poverty

Village

15.6%

Town

12.4%

County

12.4%

NY State

14.6%

US

16.9%

For additional demographic information from April 2000 on the Village of Canton, consult the United States Census Website:

Summary Set 1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics

Summary Set 2: Profile of Selected Social Characteristics

Summary Set 3: Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics

Summary Set 4: Profile of Selected Housing Characteristics

Business Climate & Existing Industry

Major industries in Canton include agriculture, education and government.  The major employers in Canton include the Universities, the County, the local schools, and Corning Inc. (Glass and Ceramic ware).

Other North Country neighbors include Potters Industries, Mean Paper, Acco, ALCOA, Reynolds and GM-Powertrain.

Canton is in large part a professional community.  The working environment in Canton includes many government and finance professionals, as well as those in architecture, law, insurance and engineering.

In Canton, you’ll find an economy based on a broad mix of education, agriculture, manufacturing, government, retail, services and small business.  Our combination of 10,000 lifelong and new local residents, plus a continually changing student population of 5,000, also offers a great base for test marketing, diversifying, or filling a variety of staffing needs.

Canton is a great place for all companies-small and large-and a wonderful location for emerging entrepreneurs.

Finally, Canton, New York is a community on the move!  A six-year “Forging Our Future” Initiative is now underway, focusing on job growth, downtown revitalization, housing, tourism, and quality of life improvements.  Current projects include expanded financing and services for current and new businesses, downtown parking enhancements and beautification efforts, upgraded signage, five heritage tourism projects, major building programs on both university campuses, new government office construction, new municipal facilities, state-of-the art childcare, and professional housing development.  If you like being part of positive change, Canton is the community for you.

Canton’s Major Employers:

  • St. Lawrence County
  • St. Lawrence University
  • SUNY-Canton
  • Canton Central School  District
  • Corning, Inc.
  • Community Bank

Retail Market Customer Base

Canton offers an excellent customer base.  We have about ten thousand people, or 3,200 households who reside within about a mile of Canton’s center.  Since Northern New York is largely rural, a 15-mile radius is considered to be our “market area.”  Roughly 44,000 people live within a 15-mile radius of Canton who routinely travel this distance for shopping trips.

Additionally, Canton is a significant employment center.  Many government workers, professionals at the colleges and other employees commute into the village each day.

The median annual household income in the town is $38,627, which is higher than the average for our region.  In general, the residents of the Town and Village of Canton tend to be more highly educated and wealthier than residents throughout the remainder of St. Lawrence County.  In fact, the annual household income is above $50,000 for 37 percent of all village households. 

A College Market

Due to local college enrollments, 48 percent of the village population is between the ages of 15 to 24.

Together, Canton and neighboring Potsdam have four colleges.  Not only does this mean that we have a lot of students who routinely shop, eat out and recreate in Canton, but many visitors and parents make their way to Canton during the year for major sporting events, parents’ weekends, and to explore the area!

  • St. Lawrence University, a private liberal arts college located in Canton has 2,100 students
  • SUNY-Canton, also located in Canton has 2,200 students
  • SUNY-Potsdam, located 10 miles away has 4,070 students
  • Clarkston University, a private liberal arts college in Potsdam has 2,900 students

Visitors

Our area is a great place to visit, and we have more people who come here each year.  With fabulous outdoor recreation opportunities, many nearby tourist destinations including the Adirondack and the Thousand Islands, and our proximity to Canada you will benefit from all the extra traffic.  Furthermore, we have several tourist destinations of our own, including two 18-hole golf courses and two indoor ice arenas including the Appleton Ice Arena at St. Lawrence University, which features Division 1 Hockey.  In addition, there are always families visiting the colleges, and sports enthusiasts in town to cheer on local sports teams.

Traffic

A map showing Average Annual Daily Traffic counts in the Village of Canton is available by clicking here(opens PDF File)The highest traffic counts in Canton are in the center of the Village on Rt. 11, where some 16,000 cars drive past this location on average each day.

 

Canton, NY | (315) 386-2871 | developer@cantonnewyork.us