General Overview

Ontario County is booming. Of the seven counties in the ACT Rochester region, Ontario has the greatest growth in population, the highest median income, high rates of educational attainment, the greatest rate of residential building permits and increasing home values. Progress has been made in the county to reduce crime rates, yet rates of violent crime have increased and juvenile delinquency rates remain much higher than the state.

Demographic Overview

Ontario County is experiencing significant population growth, while most of the region is experiencing population decline. With just over 100,200 residents in 2000, Ontario County grew by 5% to 105,700 residents in 2009. This growth in population well surpasses the growth rate of the region (-1%), and is greater than the state's (3%).

Ontario County's population is aging. The number of adults 40 to 59 years old increased by 7% from 2000 to 2008, making it the largest segment of the population and consistent with regional, state and national trends. Ontario had the highest percent change in the region for residents 60 to 84 and 85 and older, growing by 21% and 31% respectively from 2000 to 2008. These groups represent 20% of the total county population, and the dramatic increase highlights the growing need for sufficient elder care and support services.

Unlike the rest of the region, Ontario is experiencing an increase in its number of young adults. Since 2000, the number of residents between the ages of 20 and 39 increased 5% in Ontario County, more than the national increase of 2% and counter to the state and regional declines of 5% and 6% respectively. Ontario was the only county in the region to see growth in this category. However, the number of children and young adults under 20 years old declined by 10% since 2000. Though negative, the decline is small compared to others in the region, with Monroe the only county in the region with a smaller decline (-8%).

Ontario County is becoming more racially diverse, though it remains about 95% white. From 2000 to 2009, the greatest increases occurred in the Hispanic population, which grew 61% to almost 3,500 residents, and the Asian population, which grew 62% to about 1,100 residents. Ontario County also experienced a 22% increase in its African American or black population to about 2,700 residents.

Ontario County has seen a decline in the share of households of married couples with children and an increase in unmarried households with children. In 2008 about 22% of households in the county were composed of married couples with children living at home, compared to 25% in 2000. In the same time period, unmarried households with children grew as a share of the total, from 8% to 10%. These changes in household type are similar to trends at the regional, state and national levels. 


Arts, Culture & Leisure

Tourism is a growing business in Ontario County. In 2008, more than $176 million was spent on tourism activities in the county, an 8% increase from 2005. Ontario has the greatest per resident spending on tourism in the region at $1,680, compared to the regional figure of $1,200. Ontario County's tourism industry is expected to continue to grow with such new attractions as the New York State Wine & Culinary Center, the renovated Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (also known as CMAC), increased promotions of the Finger Lakes wine trails, winter sports venues, area museums and shops.

Photo provided by New York Wine Culinary & Culinary Center

Public funding for the arts in Ontario County has declined. Ontario County experienced a 29% decline in grants per resident from the New York State Council on the Arts since 2001. However, grants have almost doubled since their 2006 low. Overall Ontario's public arts funding is consistent with the rates for the state and region.


Children and Youth

In 2006-08, about 14% of children in Ontario County were living in poverty, lower than the region (17%), state (19%) and nation (18%). However, the proportion of children in poverty has increased four points since 2000, similar to increases experienced by most counties in the region, with the exception of Orleans which remained unchanged.  

Similar to the state and nation, Ontario County has seen an increase in the number of children living in single parent households. In 2006-08, nearly 28% of children lived with one parent, compared to 24% in 2000.

Teen pregnancy rates have generally declined, though there was a slight increase in 2008. In 2008, the teen pregnancy rate was 4% of females 15-19, lower than the rates for the region (5%) and the state (6%). Throughout the decade, all of the counties surrounding Monroe have consistently had rates equal to or lower than the state rate.

Ontario County has consistently had the lowest rate of Persons In Need of Supervision petitions. The rate of PINS petitions declined to 1.1 per 1,000 youth in 2008 from 2.9 in 2000. The state and region have experienced similar declines, yet have higher rates than Ontario with 2.2 and 3.6 respectively.

Juvenile delinquency intakes declined from 2000 to 2008, yet remain higher than most of the region. Despite declining 21%, Ontario County's juvenile delinquency intakes rate of 141 per 10,000 children is also higher than the rates for the region (127) and state (104).

Community Engagement

Ontario County has the largest proportion of registered voters in the region, with 84% of its voting age residents being registered. This exceeds the regional rate of 82% and the state rate of 77%. In the 2008 presidential election, 63% of voting age residents voted, slightly exceeding the regional turnout of 62% and higher than the state and national rates of 51% and 57% respectively.

Charitable giving has remained relatively constant from 2002 to 2006. On average Ontario donors gave $2,850, the second highest level of giving in the region after Monroe at $3,300. As a percent of income, Ontario donors gave 2.4% of their income in 2006, on par with most of the region but below the state level of 3%.      

Economy

Ontario County is part of the larger transition from manufacturing to knowledge-based industry. The Educational Services sector increased 36% between 2000 and 2008. Ontario also experienced 28% growth in Healthcare and Social Assistance, the largest increase in the region. Similar to the rest of the region, the greatest job losses occurred in the Natural Resources and Mining (-6%) and Manufacturing (-2.4%). However, Ontario's declines in these sectors are not as severe as other counties in the area.

Salaries in Ontario County stayed roughly constant at $35,000 from 2000 to 2008 (adjusted for inflation.) The United States posted growth of about 3% over the period, with an average salary of about $45,000 in 2008. Courtesy of a booming downstate economy, New York State's average salary jumped 7%, to over $60,000.

Ontario County has felt the repercussions of the economic crisis of 2007-09, yet continues to post the lowest unemployment rates in the region. The county's unemployment rate hit a decade high of 7.3% in 2008, up from a low of 3.5% in 2000. The rest of the region, state, and nation have mirrored this trend. Despite the increase, Ontario County still has the lowest rate in the region, and is well below the rates for the state (8.4%) and nation (9.3%).

Education

Education is an area of strength for Ontario County. Similar to students throughout our region, students in Ontario outperform those across the state on most key state tests and graduate at higher rates. For example, 97% of Ontario County students passed the state Regents math exam, with a score of 65 or higher, that is required for high school graduation in 2009, compared to 60% of students statewide. About 82% of Ontario students graduated on time, compared to 76% in the region and 80% statewide.

Monroe and Ontario counties consistently have the highest levels of educational attainment in the region. In 2006-08, nearly 62% of Ontario County residents 25 and older had attended at least some college, 7 percentage points above the state and national figures. This is up from 56% of residents in 2000.

Spending per student by Ontario County school districts has increased 22% since 2000, after adjusting for inflation. In 2008, Ontario County school districts spent $15,700 per student, comparable to spending in surrounding counties, but less than the state rate of $18,300.

Environment

Total emissions in Ontario County fell by 19% from 2002 to 2005. Ontario is on the high end of the region, and exceeds both the region and state in tons per resident. Excluding Monroe County, Ontario has the lowest pesticide use per resident in the region, using 2.37 pounds per resident in 2005, down 9% from 2003.

Financial Self-Sufficiency

Ontario County had the highest median household income in the region, but incomes have not kept pace with inflation and are expected to worsen in light of the current recession. Ontario County's median household income in 2006-08 was about $55,500, on par with the state, higher than the nation ($52,000), and higher than its neighboring counties of Monroe ($51,500) and Wayne ($53,300). Adjusted for inflation, the county's median household income has actually declined 3% since 2000, while the state median decreased at a slower rate (1%).

Ontario County experienced an increase in poverty from 2000 to 2006-08 along with the rest of the region. Ontario has the lowest poverty rate in the region at 10%, and is lower than the state (14%) and the nation (13%). Despite having a low poverty rate, the number of people in poverty increased by 40% during this time to just under 10,000 residents. Household incomes vary greatly between the county's racial and ethnic groups. Hispanic and African American or black residents are more likely to live in poverty. The poverty rate was about three times higher among African American and Hispanic residents than among white residents in 2006-08.


Health

Ontario has a slightly higher proportion of people lacking health insurance than most other counties in the region, except for Wyoming. In 2006, 15% of Ontario residents under 65 were without health insurance, down from 16% in 2005. Despite exceeding the regional rates, Ontario County is lower than the state and national rates of 16% and 18% respectively.

Mortality rates in Ontario County increased 6% from 2000 to 2008, counter to the declines experienced by most counties in the region, except for Genesee which also increased. Ontario residents experienced declines in mortality rates from heart disease (-7%), respiratory disease (-35%), and stroke (-26%). However, in 2008 cancer mortality rates were the highest since 2000 at 246 deaths per 100,000 residents. This stands in contrast to the declines that occurred earlier in the decade.

Ontario County has the highest number of doctors per 10,000 residents of all the surrounding counties outside of Monroe. The rate of doctors per 10,000 residents in Ontario has increased from 23 in 2002 to nearly 26 in 2007. This is more than twice the rate of doctors in four of the surrounding counties.

Housing

Home values in Ontario County increased over the decade. From 2000 to 2006-08 home values increased by 9%, the highest growth in the region. Ontario's median home value of $123,500 is slightly below Monroe's average of $125,900, but remains the highest of all the counties surrounding Monroe.

Yet, homes in the county remain affordable. The ratio of home value to median household income was about 1.85 in 2006-08; a ratio under 2 or 3 is considered affordable. While on the high end of rates for the region, and a 9% increase since 2000, Ontario is still within the affordable range and is lower than the rates for the state (4.12) and nation (2.96).

Ontario County has consistent homeownership rates with the region excluding Monroe County. In 2006-08, 75% of all occupied housing units in Ontario County were owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is higher than the national rate (67%) and 19 points greater than the state (56%).

Ontario County leads the region in the rate of residential building permits issued. While most counties in the region experienced significant declines in residential permitting rates between 2000 and 2008, Ontario increased by 8% compared to an overall regional decline of 38%.

Public Safety

Crime rates have fluctuated in Ontario County over the decade. While serious crimes have declined 10%, violent crimes (a subset of serious crimes) have increased 22% to 13 per 10,000 residents. Meanwhile, property and other reported crimes fell, 12% and 14% respectively, over the same time period.

Ontario has experienced a significant increase in felony drug-related arrest rates since 2000.  The rate of felony drug-related arrests increased by 86% from 2000 to 2006-08. Ontario's rate of 10.2 arrests per 100,000 residents is one of the higher rates in the region, but is less than half the state rate (20.6).

Transportation

Similar to most counties in the area, Ontario County residents rely on cars for transportation. In 2006-08, 93% of households had access to a vehicle and 95% of workers either drove alone or carpooled to work. Average travel time to work was 22 minutes in 2006-08, consistent with most of the region.