| Schodack | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 300px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | New York |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Rensselaer |
| Leader Title: | Supervisor |
| Leader Name: | Charles Peter (R) |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 164.73 |
| Area Land Km2: | 160.39 |
| Area Water Km2: | 4.34 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 63.60 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 61.93 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 1.68 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 12965 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation M: | 94 |
| Elevation Ft: | 308 |
| Coordinates: | 42.5314°N -73.6928°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 12156[2] |
| Area Code: | 518 and 838 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 36-65541 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0979469 |
| Website: | www.schodack.org |
Schodack is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 12,965 at the 2020 census.[3] The town name is derived from the Mahican word, Escotak.[4] The town is in the southwestern part of the county. Schodack is southeast of Albany, New York.
Prior to the arrival of the Dutch, the region was at the heart of the Mahican tribe. The location of their principal village was "Esquatak, the "fireplace of the nation." The town was partly explored by Henry Hudson in 1609.
The town was first settled by Europeans in the 17th century and was part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck in the New Netherland colony. The town was established in 1795, when Rensselaerwyck was divided. In 1896, part of the town was annexed to provide some territory for the Towns of Nassau and Berlin.
Blink Bonnie, Elmbrook Farm, the Muitzes Kill Historic District, and the Joachim Staats House and Gerrit Staats Ruin[5] [6] [7] are sites within the Town of Schodack that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 63.7sqmi, of which 62.2sqmi is land and 1.4sqmi (2.25%) is water. By area, it is the third largest town in Rensselaer County.
The western town line is the Hudson River with Albany County on the opposite bank. The southern town boundary is the border of Columbia County.
The New York Thruway Ext, Interstate 90, US Route 9, and US Route 20 pass through the town.
The town of East Greenbush is to the north, the towns of Stuyvesant and Kinderhook in Columbia County are to the south, the town of Nassau is to the east, and the town of Coeymans is located across the Hudson River in Albany County in the west.
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 12,536 people, 4,737 households, and 3,500 families residing in the town. The population density was 201.5sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 4,942 housing units at an average density of 79.4sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 97.54% White, 0.68% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.
There were 4,737 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,176, and the median income for a family was $63,622. Males had a median income of $40,090 versus $31,278 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,560. About 2.3% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Most of the town is encompassed by the Schodack Central School District, which is made up of three schools. Maple Hill High School and Maple Hill Middle school are located in Schodack, while Castleton Elementary school is located a few miles west, in the village of Castleton. A small portion of Schodack is located within the larger East Greenbush Central School District, and Green Meadow Elementary School is located near Schodack Center. Another small area, on Schodack's southern border, is served by the Ichabod Crane Central School District.