| Official Name: | Town of Dunkirk, New York |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Pushpin Map: | New York |
| Pushpin Label: | Dunkirk (town) |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the state of New York |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | New York |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Chautauqua |
| Government Type: | Town Council |
| Leader Title: | Town Supervisor |
| Leader Name: | Richard A. Purol (D) |
| Leader Title1: | Town Council |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 16.27 |
| Area Land Km2: | 16.13 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.14 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 6.28 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 6.23 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.05 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 1257 |
| Population Density Km2: | 65.78 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 170.36 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation M: | 205 |
| Elevation Ft: | 673 |
| Coordinates: | 42.4642°N -79.3425°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 14048, 14166 |
| Area Code: | 716 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 36-21116 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0978912 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Est: | 1248 |
Dunkirk is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 1,257 at the 2020 census.[2]
The town of Dunkirk is split into two sections, east and west, by the city of Dunkirk, which is a separate entity.
The area was first settled circa 1808. Development was slow until the New York and Erie Railroad established a station in Dunkirk village in 1851. The town of Dunkirk was established in 1859 from the northern portion of the town of Pomfret. The village of Dunkirk was incorporated in 1837, becoming a city in 1888.
The first naval skirmish in the War of 1812 began in Lake Erie near the mouth of Canadaway Creek, which is now within the boundaries of the western part of the town. A small marker commemorating the event sits near the intersection of Route 5 and Temple Street.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.3sqkm, of which 16.1sqkm is land and 0.1sqkm, or 0.85%, is water.[3]
The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) and NY Route 5 pass through the town. The town of Dunkirk is served by the Buffalo-Chicago main lines of both CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway.
The town of Dunkirk is split into an east section and a west section by the city of Dunkirk, which is located in the middle.
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 1,387 people, 519 households, and 333 families residing in the town. The population density was 222.1sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 602 housing units at an average density of 96.4sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 94.16% White, 2.24% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 1.66% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.33% of the population.
There were 519 households, out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 15.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 31.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,553, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $32,692 versus $23,194 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,124. About 7.1% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.