The first settlers came in 1781, and John Lemming Jr., secretary to general Philip Schuyler, was charged with granting the land. The Town of Lansing was formed in 1817 from the Town of Genoa, Cayuga County, when Tompkins County was founded.
The town is named after John Lansing. People from the Town of Lansing were early settlers of Lansing, Michigan, and named it after their hometown; it later became the capital of Michigan.[4]
In December 2014, the Lansing Town Board unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing freedom from domestic violence as a fundamental human right.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 69.9 square miles (181.1 km2), of which 60.5 square miles (156.7 km2) of it is land and 9.5 square miles (24.5 km2) of it (13.17%) is water.
The north town line is the border of Cayuga County, and the west town line is delineated by Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. Salmon Creek flows into the lake near Myers.
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 10,521 people, 4,374 households, and 2,668 families residing in the town. The population density was 173.3 inhabitants per square mile (66.9/km2). There were 4,634 housing units at an average density of 76.3 per square mile (29.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 84.09% White, 4.09% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 8.86% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.35% of the population.
There were 4,374 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,250, and the median income for a family was $59,758. Males had a median income of $38,146 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,634. About 4.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Lansing Central School District encompasses the town and its surrounding area. It has approximately 1,200 students in one elementary school (R.C. Buckley Elementary School), one middle school (Lansing Middle School), and one high school (Lansing High School). Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (TST BOCES) supports education in the region.
Communities and locations in the Town of Lansing
Asbury – A hamlet north of the Village of Lansing.
Buck Corners – A location south of Lansingville.
Dublin Corners – A location north of South Lansing.
East Lansing – A location near the east town line.
Head Corners – A hamlet east of Asbury.
Howland Corners – A hamlet on the east town line.
Howser Corners – A location south of North Lansing.
Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport (ITH) – The airport serving the Ithaca area lies partially in the eastern part of the Village of Lansing and the south part of the town.
Lake Ridge – A hamlet on NY-34B in the northwest part of the town.
Lake Ridge Point – A projection into Cayuga Lake in the northwest part of the town.
Lansing – The Village of Lansing is near the south town line on NY-13.
Lansing Residential Center – A medium security correctional facility for girls operated by the State of New York.
