The number of people unemployed in Orleans is about half of what it was last summer, according to State Department of Labor data for July.

In Orleans County, the unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in July, compared to 11.5 percent in July 2020, when many businesses were scaled down due to Covid-19 restrictions. In July 2019, before the pandemic, the unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in Orleans.

There are 900 more working in Orleans compared to year ago. There were 16,400 working in Orleans County in July, compared to 15,500 in July 2020. The number on unemployment also is down from 2,000 to 1,000 during that time.

Other nearby rates for July include: Livingston, 4.6%; Monroe, 5.7%; Erie, 5.8%; Niagara, 6.0.

Statewide the unemployment rate is 7.4 percent compared to 14.8 percent in July 2020. The were 8,668,400 working statewide in July, up 626,200 from July 2020. The number on unemployment is down from 1,400,100 to 693,200.

New housing construction has slowed in county in past 15 years

Photo by Tom Rivers: The former Holley High School opened last year with 42 apartments, which were quickly filled. A report about housing in Orleans County said more townhouses, smaller single-family homes needed in the county.

ALBION – A report about housing in Orleans County advises local officials to consider some zoning changes to allow for single-family housing on smaller lot sizes, and also encourage more high-density development, such as townhouses and condominiums.

The report, presented to the Orleans County Legislature last week by LaBella, said the county has an aging housing stock and about half of the houses need repairs.

The median household income in the county also makes it difficult for landlords to charge enough rent, making for a low return on investment.

Building permits for housing are about a third of what they were 15 years ago. The redevelopment of the former Holley High School, which added 42 apartment units last year, is an exception. Those units were quickly rented out and show there is demand for high-density living in the county.

The county paid LaBella $5,000 for the study. County Legislator Ken DeRoller of Kendall advocated for the study after seeing local building permits plummet in recent years and the population steadily decline. DeRoller said that may be a reflection that the existing housing and zoning are not in sync with housing development.

He is suggesting local officials look to set aside some land for housing that may currently be farmland. That is a discussion that should be taken up among farmers, the county’s Farmland Protection Board and local officials. If the zoning was changed to allow smaller lots, DeRoller said there would be affordable new housing opportunities with only a small impact to productive farmland.

There are also opportunities for new construction with vacant lots in villages. DeRoller also sees the Erie Canal as an attractive waterfront option with the right zoning in place.

Key findings in the report include:

• Single-family, owner-occupied units dominate the market: About 50 percent of housing stock throughout the county is comprised of single-family homes on large lots. Future projections show a need for smaller homes on smaller lot sizes, which would also drive down the costs for a new house.

• Almost 50 percent of renter households have housing problems and cannot afford market rents: The report states that 49 percent of renters are living in units that are not affordable. Housing Choice vouchers available in the county address some of the affordability issues, but only a small fraction of the need. The report also says 51 percent  of renters have housing problems such as incomplete kitchens or bathrooms and more than one person per bedroom.

• More than 50 percent of housing stock is 60 years or older: Housing maintenance is therefore a major priority in the county, Labella stated in the report.

• Renters and homeowners both have housing problems: The number of homeowners with housing problems (3,010, according to the report) exceeds the number of renters (2,010) with housing problems.

• Return on investment is low for owners and rental developers: Rental rates in inflation adjusted dollars have decreased over the last 20 years, and home values, in inflation adjusted dollars, are also down in the 20 years. (This doesn’t include the recent spike in the past year with many homes selling for 20 to 25 percent above assessed value.) The lack of growth in rental rates and home values discourages upgrades and maintenance of homes, as well as new developments.

• Population decreasing: Orleans County’s population is down 5.9 percent from 2010 to 2020 or by 2,540 people, from 42,883 to 40,343. From 2000, the decline is 8.7 percent when the population was 44,171. “Finding ways to attract new residents would increase the demand for housing,” the report states.

• Population getting older: The average age of residents in Orleans County increased from 36.2 in 2000 to 43.0 in 2019.

• Shrinking household sizes: The size of the average household shrunk from 2.65 in 2000 to 2.28 in 2019.

• The report also finds a need for more housing units for extremely low-income households, and there is also demand for higher-priced apartments.

DePaul is close to completing a new 40-unit housing project in Albion on Liberty Street. The property is known as the Boxcar Apartments is located between the railroad tracks and Beaver Street. The complex will have 36 one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units.

Housing Characteristics

• The report finds that the large majority of housing units are currently owner occupied, with 76 percent owner occupied compared to 24 percent that are renter-occupied.
• Of the occupied housing units in the county, 75 percent are single-family homes, with 11 percent mobile homes, 9 percent that are multi-unit and 5 percent that are two-family.
• New construction of housing units has generally been trending downward. There were 70 building permits for housing in 2004 and that dropped to 24 in 2017 and 23 in 2018 in Orleans County. There was an anomaly in 2019 with 65 permits for housing units, with 42 at the Holley gardens, the former Holley High School that was turned into apartments. Without the school project, there were 23 building permits for housing units in the county in 2019.
• Age of housing stock in Orleans County: The reports shows 57 percent of housing units in the county were built before 1960 and only 6 percent were constructed in last two decades. A breakdown shows 44 percent built from 1939 or earlier, 13 percent from 1940 to 1959; 20 percent from 1960 to 1979; 18 percent from 1980 to 1999; and 6 percent were built in 2000 or later. The report says any housing programs in the county “must” include a component to rehab older homes. Some of those older housing units may need to be demolished.
• Median housing values: Using inflation adjusted values, median housing values in the county have slightly decreased from $105,874 in 2000, $100,366 in 2010 to $98,400 in 2019.
• Median gross rent has also fallen. Using inflation adjusted values, the gross rent for Orleans County rentals has dropped from $774 in 2000 to $732 in 2010 to $728 in 2019.
• Affordability: The report says nearly half of renters, 47 percent, are living in housing that is unaffordable and over 18 percent of renters are spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing. Three out of four homeowners are living in housing that is affordable. Some subsidies are needed to help lower-income people have affordable housing.
• Housing problems: Overall, 31 percent of households report a housing problem, which could include basic needs like a complete kitchen and bathroom facilities. The report said programs for housing rehab are needed but some of the houses are so unsafe and dilapidated it doesn’t make sense to rehab them and they should be torn down.

Demographic Characteristics 

• Population loss: Orleans County’s population is down 8.7 percent from 2000 to 2020, according to the report which cited census data. That is a decline of 3,828 people over 20 years. The population in Orleans was 40,343 in 2020, down from 42,883 in 2010 and 44,171 in 2000.
• The decline on household sizes could result in less demand for the larger single-family houses in the future, according to the report.
• Medina age: The county’s median age has changed significantly from 36.2 in 2000 to 43.0 in 2019, likely due to stagnant population growth, lack of young families and people moving out of county. During that same period, the median age in the state went from 36 to 39 years old, and nationally it went up from 35 to 38.5. Based on current trends and projections, nearly 60 percent of the Orleans County population will be 45 or older by 2040.

ALBION – Property owners in the Lyndonville and Medina school districts will have their school taxes collected by the Orleans County Treasurer’s Office.

The county collected Medina’s taxes for the first time last year and is paid $19,000 for the work. Lyndonville is in its first year of contracting with the County Treasurer’s Office at a cost of $12,000.

Orleans County Treasurer Kim DeFrank has been delegated to be the sole and exclusive authority to collect 2021/2022 school taxes for the Lyndonville and Medina school districts, beginning Sept. 1 through Nov. 1.

The Treasurer’s Office is located at 34 East Park Street, Albion NY 14411. It is accepting tax payments in person, by US mail or a safe and secure drop box outside the Treasurer’s Office.  Cash payments may be made in person only.

The hours of operations include Sept. 1-3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Labor Day, and then from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Sept. 7.

Any questions regarding these payments may be made by contacting the Orleans County Treasurer at (585) 589-5353.

Nyla Gaylord left to join United Way in Orleans County

ALBION – While the resignation of Nyla Gaylord in early July as executive director may have left a big void in the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, the agency is moving forward with a lot of positive energy, according to board president Sister Dolores O’Dowd.

Gaylord served with GOMOC for 5 ½ years, with more than four of those as executive director. She has accepted a position as director of development and fundraising for United Way of Orleans County.

“We appreciate all the time, effort and expertise she shared with employees, board members and especially the clients of Orleans and Genesee counties,” Sister O’Dowd shared in their summer newsletter.

Meanwhile, the search for a new executive director is continuing.

“We are looking for someone who has a heart for our ministry and someone who is also familiar with the agencies in Orleans and Genesee County with whom we work,” Sister O’Dowd said.

While the past year and a half have been challenging, GOMOC can celebrate a lot of successes. These include the purchase of a new furniture truck with a lift gate, made possible with a generous donation and grant from the Lyndonville Foundation.

“In spite of the challenges, we managed to keep our office going,” Sister O’Dowd said. “No one refused to come to work because of Covid. “We are thankful we could continue to help people with the money we received from grants.

In January this year, GOMOC was the recipient of a $50,000 grant from Eastman Savings and Loan, made possible by United Way of Orleans County. This allowed for creating the ESL/Covid Relief Housing Project to help families and individuals who were economically and financially disadvantaged and who suffered from either loss of income due to Covid or had difficulty making ends meet. GOMOC was able to provide rental/mortgage assistance and help with outstanding utility bills.

Although the ESL/Covid Relief Program ended July 31, GOMOC will continue to service income-eligible families in need through other funding sources and referral processes, wrote program coordinator Lydia Duncan in their newsletter.

Sister O’Dowd is especially excited about a new Financial Literacy Workshop started by Just Friends coordinator and advocate Ayesha Kreutz. Funded by a Heritage Wind community grant, the program is open to residents of Orleans County 12 to 18 years old and their parents. Five participants aged 12 to 18 years will receive a $300 scholarship to open their own investment portfolio or start a business. The program will focus on everything from investing money and saving for the future to interviewing skills, how to get and keep a job, life insurance, budgeting and their credit score. The first class started the second week of August.

Last year, GOMOC handed out school supplies to almost 300 children through donations from individuals and a grant from the Emma Reed Webster Aid Foundation. They are hoping to do the same this year and are still accepting donations of new school supplies and backpacks.

Sister O’Dowd reported the resignation of advocate Sharon Quill, who worked with the furniture program. That void has just been filled by hiring of Gretta Smith, who will start Tuesday as advocate.

Sister O’Dowd said Smith brings a lot to the Ministry of Concern.

“She is a college student in her senior year at Daemon College,” Sister O’Dowd said. “She has worked with many organizations in our area and worked with the poor. She is young and has a lot of good ideas. She will be a good fit.”

GOMOC had to cancel their annual fundraising gala due to Covid, but plan to reschedule it as soon as the danger of Covid has gone away.

“For now, we are depending upon donations from the community and grants,” Sister O’Dowd said.

The Ministry of Concern can also use items such as toilet paper; backpack and school supplies; any size mattresses, box springs and frames; new and gently used sheets and blankets in any size; appliances, such as refrigerators, electric stoves, microwave ovens, washers and dryers; small appliances, including toasters, coffee makers, hand mixers, hot plates, blenders and crock pots; paper towels, tissues, dish and laundry detergent and cleaning supplies; new bed pillows; bath and kitchen towers; and dressers, end tables, recliner chairs; loveseats, sofas, tables and chairs.

Information on how to donate cash or items is available by calling (585) 589-9210 or logging on to their website at www.ministryofconcern.org.

The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 23rd annual business awards. The deadline to nominate a business or person is Sept. 12.

The categories include:

• Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Lifetime Achievement – This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements.
• Phoenix Award – This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility.
• New Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year.
• Community Service Award – This award is presented to a business, organization or individual that has provided meaningful contributions to the community in either professional or non-professional spheres.
• Agricultural Business of the Year – This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Small Business of the Year – This award is presented to a small business that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year.

Send a nomination to the OCCC, PO Box 501, Medina, NY or email it to director@orleanschamber.com, through Google forms (click here) or the Chamber’s Facebook page.

The businesses and individuals will be recognized during an awards dinner on Oct. 21 at the White Birch in Lyndonville.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: From left, Nancy Traxler, head of the Joint Veterans’ Council, Jackie Lonnen, office worker, and legislator Fred Miller pose with a cake honoring volunteer van drivers at Shelby Volunteer Fire Company on Friday noon. Certificates of appreciation were also presented to a dozen and a half volunteer drivers.

MEDINA – A dozen and a half volunteer drivers in the Joint Veterans’ Council’s van service were recognized at a reception Wednesday at Shelby Fire Hall.

The Joint Veterans Council director Nancy Traxler and van service coordinator Phyllis Schrader presented certificates of appreciation to the volunteer drivers.

The drivers are usually recognized annually with a picnic at the Joint Veterans’ Council office, but because 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the program, it was decided to celebrate with a catered lunch.

The volunteer van service was started Dec. 13, 1996 by Jim Andre of Kendall, who saw a need for such a service in Orleans County, Schrader said. They started with a card table, a phone and one van.

Frank  Tower was head of the Joint Veterans’ Council when Andre went to the American Legion and VFW to help in getting his idea started.

One of the longest serving volunteer drivers is Ralph Clute, who started in 1998. He said he has been amazed at how the program has grown over the years. Clute, who served in the Navy, said all of the drivers are veterans themselves or wives of a veteran.

Clockwise from left, Phyllis Schrader, coordinator of the Joint Veterans’ Council volunteer van drivers, and volunteer drivers Judy Larkin, Irene Braley, Butch Patten, Jean Karos and Lee Plummer enjoy conversation at a reception Friday recognizing the volunteers.

After starting out with one van and two drivers (Ron Weaver and Andre), there are now five vans and 25 volunteer drivers. There is always a need for more volunteers, Schrader said.

“This new generation doesn’t volunteer any more,” she said.

Butch Patten of Albion had been a longtime volunteer until he was forced to quit when he developed diabetes. Then he volunteered to work in the office.

Lee Plummer of Lyndonville became a volunteer because Schrader, a former classmate of his, talked him into it.

Traxler stressed how important the van service is to local veterans. She cited the case just recently when a 90-year-old veteran’s caregiver contacted the Joint Veterans’ Council, saying the man had no relatives or friends who could drive. He needed to get to some medical appointments, and the volunteer van service was able to set them all up and get him there.

“The volunteer drivers provide a great service to our community,” said County Legislator Fred Miller. “Volunteering is not a very thankful job. Our veterans have done so much for us, and these volunteers have my admiration.”

Joint Veterans Council has run the all-volunteer program for 25 years

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature on Wednesday presented certificates of appreciation to volunteers for the veterans’ van service, a program that has been providing rides to veterans to their medical appointments the past 25 years.

The top photo shows County Legislator Fred Miller, second from left, praising volunteers in the program, including Ralph Clute (second from right) and Frank Panczyszyn. Nancy Traxler, director of the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans County, is at left. Klute is a driver for the program and also helps in the office. Panczyszyn is a driver.

Helen Bilicki, left, also was recognized for her years of service in the office, helping to schedule drivers for veterans’ medical appointments. The program is run by the Joint Veterans Council.

There are currently about 25 volunteers with the program, which operates five vans. The program typically takes veterans to about 1,500 appointments a year. The service was shut down by the VA from April through June 2020, and then it gradually ramped back up.

The volunteers took veterans to 542 appointments from Jan. 1 through July 31 this year.

There will be a reception for the volunteers today at the Shelby fire hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature on Wednesday approved a five-year contract with 170 employees in the CSEA union.

The agreement doesn’t give any raises for 2020 through June of 2021. However, the employees will all get 50-cent hourly raises effective June 1, 2021, and then a 4 percent increase on top of that for the rest of 2021.

The agreement then gives the workers 2 percent annual increases in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

The 50-cent hourly wage increase was implemented due to minimum wage being hiked up to $12.50 an hour. The county needed to increase starting hourly pay for custodians and housekeepers from $11.94 to $12.73 due to the state increase in the minimum. That also prompted the county to increase the other wages to stay more competitive in the local labor market.

The new contract was delayed with uncertainty during the Covid-19 pandemic. The county last year had 20 percent of state reimbursements withheld, and there were concerns over a loss of sales tax revenue.

The state cuts eventually were at 5 percent, the county ended the year with a big increase in sales tax last year –up by 9.2 percent, from $17.7 million in 2019 to $19.4 million in 2020. For part of the year, however, sales tax revenues were lagging when many businesses were forced to close for in-person customers.

The county also implemented a temporary voluntarily workforce reduction of 40 employees last year due to concerns about plummeting revenue.

All of those issues made it challenging to craft a long-term labor agreement, said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer. He remains concerned about revenue in the future from the state and federal governments, especially if the pandemic is drawn out.

The new contract increases the deductibles for employees from $1,500 for a single heath insurance plan to $2,500, and $3,000 for a family plan to $5,000.

However, there are health reimbursement accounts at $1,400 for employees with single plans (with the county also eligible to be reimbursed $1,100 for those plans) and $2,800 for employees with family plans (county eligible for up to $2,200). Those accounts have the potential to reduce out-of-pocket costs for employees and also drive down some of the county’s health insurance costs, Welch said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

KNOWLESVILLE – The band Maufrey performs Thursday night during TedFest V, a three-day music festival at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

The band from Buffalo was performing at the stage at the Curtis Pavilion. They play “funk jam,” including some music by The Allman Brothers, David Bowie, ZZ Top and Bruce Hornsby.

Bill Braytek performs with the band Maufrey on Thursday. The live music festival continues today and Saturday with 32 bands in Western New York.

TedFest in previous year’s was a one-day event at Bond Lake in Sanborn, Niagara County. This year it was expended to three days on three stages at the fairgrounds to accommodate more bands and give them more time to perform, said Bashar Srouji, TedFest founder and organizer.

He puts on the event as a tribute to the late Theodore “Teddy” Wishowski, who died in a car crash in Lewiston at age 23 on July 17, 2016. “this festival is a way to reconnect with him,” Srouji said about TedFest.

The fairgrounds provides a venue to better showcase the musicians, and make it a multi-day event with RV hook-ups, vendors and concessions.

The poster for TedFest includes a Buddha with five arms. It is similar to one of Teddy Wishowski’s tattoos which had a Buddha with 12 arms.

This photo shows Bobby and the Pedestrians getting set up in the Lartz Building which also included space for several vendors.

Steven Plennert, owner of PHD Hemp in Niagara Falls, is selling hemp products as part of the festival. Plennert said the CBD oil is popular for helping people with inflammation and anxiety.

Bobby and the Pedestrians, an Albion-based band, was among the performers on Thursday. Bobby Skrzypek is the lead singer and front man for the band which plays “high-energy reggae rock.” He is shown playing a ukulele.

Thom Jennings of Albion, center, joined Bobby and the Pedestrians for a few songs on Thursday night. They led off by performing “Fire on the Mountain” by the Grateful Dead. Thom’s son Trevor is the drummer for the group.

Alex Kielbasa, a performer with Bobby and the Pedestrians, lets out some vape smoke. He also plays the didgeridoo, a wind instrument.

TedFest V tickets are $25 for a single day pass and are available online by clicking here. That link also includes a schedule for the bands.

ALBION – Orleans County is calling on the state to pay $1.6 million that Orleans says it is owed in Medicaid reimbursements from April 2016 to April 2020.

The county contends it is due the money, which are federal funds passed down to the state, as part of a provision in the Affordable Care Act with the federal government upping the Medicaid matching share. That has saved the state billions of dollars, the Orleans County Legislature stated in a resolution.

Those savings should then be shared with counties, which pay a local share towards Medicaid, county legislators said.

The state has a methodology where 80 percent of the increased federal funds should go to counties. However, the state has last reconciled with the counties in the state’s 2015-16 fiscal year.

The New York State Association of Counties estimates the state owes $800 million to all of the counties and New York City through withheld Medicaid reimbursements.

“By not providing these federal funds it requires counties and New York City to reserve funds locally to make up for the loss, meaning local taxes have been kept higher than they need to be over multiple years, or local services had to be scaled back or eliminated,” county legislators stated in a resolution.

Legislators called on the state to take immediate steps to release the funds, and to provide timely notice to counties of the coming year’s Medicaid costs. The resolution from the County Legislature was sent to the Governor’s Office and the State Legislature.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – There was big turnout today with the return of the household hazardous waste collection. Last year’s event was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. This year the county quickly had all 320 slots filled with at least another 100 calling for an appointment.

The top photo shows employees with Environmental Enterprises in Cincinnati collecting the household hazardous waste, where many of the fluids will be emptied into large drums to be hauled away. The is free to Orleans County residents.

This photo shows Matt Herman of the Orleans County DPW dumping tires into the pile by the DPW garage on West Academy Street in Albion. The big pile is expected to be removed next week by Modern Disposal.

The county accepted at least 1,200 tires. Residents were limited to 10 tires for the drop-off today. The county added tires to the annual household hazardous collection event in 2019 and received about 1,000 two years ago.

Tyler Jurs and other DPW workers unload a truck full of tires. The tires needed to be rimless. Only non-commercial and non-farm tires were accepted today. Jurs was joined by Paul Gray, Greg Lane and Matt Herman in unloading the tires today.

Paul Gray, a long-time DPW employee, said he is seeing far fewer tires along roadsides and other household hazardous waste since the county started the collections.

Gray said that also includes fewer computer monitors and TVs since collection points were set up by the county. Local DPW and highway crews frequently were hauling those items out of ditches and fields.

“There is much less discarded by the roads now,” Gray said.

Jim Bensley, the county’s director of planning and development, carries one of the tanks dropped off today. He said the big turnout today has county officials looking at a bigger event next year, with either more slots for residents in one or two different days.

Environmental Enterprises, the company doing the collection, is booked up for the rest of the year and isn’t available for another event in Orleans County in 2021.

Bensley said there was pent-up demand for today’s collection with many people cleaning out garages and houses during the pandemic. He also thinks the home sale transactions prompted many people to clear out basements and buildings.

Corey Winters, a planner with the county, carries propane tanks. There were 349 empty propane tanks collected in August 2019 at the last household hazard waste collection event in Orleans County.

Anitrice Bennett from the County Planning and Development Department checks in a resident for today’s household hazardous waste collection on West Academy Street.

The event allows residents to dispose of tires, propane tanks, auto/marine batteries and other hazardous household waste in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Some of the items include oil-based paints, solvents, adhesives & resins, aerosols, motor oil & filters, pesticides, acids, fluorescent bulbs, corrosives, household batteries and antifreeze.

The county typically pays Environmental Enterprises about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state then reimbursing the county about half of the costs.

Town of Albion has biggest drop at 9.8% among 10 towns

The new data from the U.S. Census Bureau on the 2020 count shows that every town and village in Orleans County experienced population loss from 2010, except for the Town of Yates.

Countywide the population is down 5.9 percent, or by 2,540 people from 42,883 in 2010 to 40,343 in 2020. That percent decline is the steepest of all counties in Western New York.

The data from the Census Bureau shows a population drop in nearly every Orleans County municipality with Albion experiencing the biggest loss at 9.8 percent. Yates avoided a loss in residents, but just barely. The town grew by 8 people or by 0.3 percent.

TOWNS – The population changes for 10 towns includes:

• Albion – 7,639 in 2020, down 829 or 9.8% from the 8,468 in 2010
• Barre – 1,843 in 2020, down 182 or 9.0% from 2,025 in 2010
• Carlton – 2,835 in 2020, down 159 or 5.3% from 2,994 in 2010
• Clarendon – 3,315 in 2020, down 333 or 9.1% from 3,648 in 2010
• Gaines – 3,226 in 2020, down from 152 or 4.5% 3,378 in 2010
• Kendall – 2,617 in 2020, down 107 or 3.9% from 2,724 in 2010
• Murray – 4,796 in 2020, down 192 or 3.8% from 4,988 in 2010
• Ridgeway – 6,598 in 2020, down 182 or 2.7% from 6,780 in 2010
• Shelby – 4,907 in 2020, down 412 or 7.7% from 5,319 in 2010
• Yates – 2,567 in 2020, up by 8 or 0.3% from 2,559 in 2010
• Orleans County – 40,343, down 2,540 or 5.9% from the 42,883 in 2010

VILLAGES – The four villages all are down in population but the percent decline was the lowest in Medina. In 2010, Albion with 6,056 people and Medina with 6,065 were nearly identical in population. Now Medina has nearly 400 more residents – 6,047 compared to 5,637.

Here are the changes in population from in the four Orleans County villages:

• Albion – 5,637 in 2020, down 419 or 6.9% from 6,056 in 2010
• Holley – 1,754 in 2020, down 57 or 3.2% from 1,811 in 2010
• Lyndonville – 771 in 2020, down 67 or 8.0% from 838 in 2010
• Medina – 6,047 in 2020, down 18 or 0.3% from 6,065 in 2010

The percentage of population loss was nearly double in central Orleans County (7.8 percent) compared to the western end with 4.0 percent decline, with eastern Orleans down by 5.6 percent.

• Central Orleans (Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines) – down 7.8 percent from 16,865 to 15,543 or by 1,322
• Eastern Orleans (Clarendon, Kendall and Murray) – down 5.6 percent from 11,360 to 10,728 or by 632
• Western Orleans (Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates) – down 4.0 percent from 14,658 to 14,072 or by 586

County stays over 40,000 — barely

The U.S. Census Bureau today released population counts for each county in the United States. The data shows a 5.9 percent decline in Orleans County, which was biggest drop among Western New York counties and most in the GLOW region.

Orleans shrunk by 2,540 people in the 10 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, dropping from 42,883 in 2010 to 40,343 in 2020.

The county managed to stay above 40,000 people in the census count.

The Orleans County population in recent counts include 42,883 in 2010, 44,171 in 2000, 41,846 in 1990, 38,496 in 1980 and 37,305 in 1970.

The percentage drop from 2010 to 2020 in Orleans County is the most among Western New York counties and the GLOW region. All of those counties declined except Erie and Monroe.

Here is a breakdown of the population changes in WNY and GLOW:

• Genesee, down 2.8 percent from 60,079 in 2010 to 58,388 in 2020
• Livingston, down 5.4 percent from 65,393 in 2010 to 61,834 in 2020
• Orleans, down 5.9 percent from 42,883 in 2010 to 40,343 in 2020
• Wyoming, down 3.9 percent from 42,155 in 2010 to 40,531 in 2020
• Monroe, up 2.0 percent from 744,344 in 2010 to 759,443 in 2020
• Erie, up 3.8 percent, from 919,040 in 2010 to 954,236 to 2020
• Cattaraugus, down 4.1 percent from 80,317 in 2010 to 77,042 in 2020
• Chautauqua, down 5.4 percent from 134,905 in 2010 to 127,657 in 2020

Some counties experienced a bigger population loss, by percentage, than Orleans. They include:

• Schoharie, down 9.3 percent from 32,749 in 2010 to 29,714 in 2020
• Franklin, down 7.8 percent from 51,599 in 2010 to 47,555 in 2020
• Delaware, down 7.7 percent, from 47,980 in 2010 to 44,308 in 2020
• Madison, down 7.4 percent from 73,442 in 2010 to 68,016 in 2020
• Herkimer, down 6.8 percent from 64,519 in 2010 to 60,139 in 2020
• Otsego, down 6.0 percent from 62,259 in 2010 to 58,524 in 2020