Wales, New York

The town was formed in 1818 from the town of Willink.

Originally a farming community, the town of Wales is documented through profiles of its churches, civic organizations, businesses, and individual citizens. Established in 1818, the town of 3,000 residents is located in a scenic area of Erie County amid woodlands and streams. Town boards over the years have been respectful of the residents' desire to maintain a small-town atmosphere and quality of life, and the transition to modern life has emphasized small, family-oriented businesses. Personal commitment and a spirit of volunteerism have prevailed in the community, as evidenced by its many interactive organizations.

The town is named because its hills and green fields reminded settlers of the nation of Wales.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|92.3|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|92.2|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.1|km2|disp=flip|2}}, or 0.14%, is water.

The east town line is the border of Wyoming County.

New York State Route 400 passes through the southwest part of the town.

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Wales has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Wales was {{convert|95|F|C|1}} on July 10, 2020, and July 17, 2022, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-19|F|C|1}} on December 13, 1988, and February 14–15, 2016.

{{Weather box

|location = Wales, New York, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 66

|Feb record high F = 72

|Mar record high F = 82

|Apr record high F = 89

|May record high F = 92

|Jun record high F = 92

|Jul record high F = 95

|Aug record high F = 94

|Sep record high F = 90

|Oct record high F = 84

|Nov record high F = 79

|Dec record high F = 68

|Jan avg record high F = 55.7

|Feb avg record high F = 54.3

|Mar avg record high F = 65.6

|Apr avg record high F = 78.9

|May avg record high F = 83.3

|Jun avg record high F = 86.6

|Jul avg record high F = 87.7

|Aug avg record high F = 86.8

|Sep avg record high F = 84.9

|Oct avg record high F = 77.3

|Nov avg record high F = 67.8

|Dec avg record high F = 57.0

|year avg record high F = 89.3

|Jan high F = 31.5

|Feb high F = 33.1

|Mar high F = 41.6

|Apr high F = 55.3

|May high F = 67.0

|Jun high F = 74.9

|Jul high F = 78.8

|Aug high F = 77.7

|Sep high F = 71.6

|Oct high F = 59.5

|Nov high F = 47.4

|Dec high F = 36.7

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 23.4

|Feb mean F = 24.2

|Mar mean F = 31.9

|Apr mean F = 44.2

|May mean F = 55.7

|Jun mean F = 64.5

|Jul mean F = 68.4

|Aug mean F = 67.1

|Sep mean F = 60.7

|Oct mean F = 49.7

|Nov mean F = 39.1

|Dec mean F = 29.5

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 15.4

|Feb low F = 15.2

|Mar low F = 22.2

|Apr low F = 33.1

|May low F = 44.2

|Jun low F = 54.0

|Jul low F = 57.9

|Aug low F = 56.5

|Sep low F = 49.7

|Oct low F = 39.8

|Nov low F = 30.8

|Dec low F = 22.3

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -7.1

|Feb avg record low F = -4.3

|Mar avg record low F = 2.6

|Apr avg record low F = 20.6

|May avg record low F = 29.9

|Jun avg record low F = 39.7

|Jul avg record low F = 46.6

|Aug avg record low F = 45.1

|Sep avg record low F = 35.8

|Oct avg record low F = 26.2

|Nov avg record low F = 14.9

|Dec avg record low F = 3.6

|year avg record low F = -10.2

|Jan record low F = -18

|Feb record low F = -19

|Mar record low F = -12

|Apr record low F = 9

|May record low F = 25

|Jun record low F = 31

|Jul record low F = 40

|Aug record low F = 35

|Sep record low F = 26

|Oct record low F = 21

|Nov record low F = 0

|Dec record low F = -19

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.56

|Feb precipitation inch = 2.65

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.16

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.58

|May precipitation inch = 3.50

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.15

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.94

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.48

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.93

|Oct precipitation inch = 4.18

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.05

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.90

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 18.2

|Feb precipitation days = 14.6

|Mar precipitation days = 13.3

|Apr precipitation days = 13.5

|May precipitation days = 12.3

|Jun precipitation days = 12.2

|Jul precipitation days = 11.1

|Aug precipitation days = 10.5

|Sep precipitation days = 10.6

|Oct precipitation days = 12.9

|Nov precipitation days = 13.4

|Dec precipitation days = 16.7

|Jan snow inch = 32.9

|Feb snow inch = 19.9

|Mar snow inch = 17.0

|Apr snow inch = 3.6

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.2

|Nov snow inch = 9.1

|Dec snow inch = 26.6

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 13.2

|Feb snow days = 11.0

|Mar snow days = 7.1

|Apr snow days = 2.2

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.1

|Nov snow days = 4.1

|Dec snow days = 10.1

|Jan snow depth inch = 15.9

|Feb snow depth inch = 13.6

|Mar snow depth inch = 12.0

|Apr snow depth inch = 2.7

|May snow depth inch = 0.0

|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0

|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0

|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0

|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0

|Oct snow depth inch = 0.2

|Nov snow depth inch = 7.3

|Dec snow depth inch = 11.1

|year snow depth inch = 19.7

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00308910&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Wales, NY

|access-date = November 28, 2022

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=buf

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Buffalo

|access-date = November 28, 2022

}}

}}

{{US Census population

| align = left

| 1820 = 903

| 1830 = 1500

| 1840 = 1987

| 1850 = 2124

| 1860 = 1710

| 1870 = 1416

| 1880 = 1302

| 1890 = 1200

| 1900 = 1220

| 1910 = 1203

| 1920 = 985

| 1930 = 1086

| 1940 = 1198

| 1950 = 1370

| 1960 = 1910

| 1970 = 2617

| 1980 = 2844

| 1990 = 2917

| 2000 = 2960

| 2010 = 3005

| 2020 = 3009

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 2,960 people, 1,116 households, and 841 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|83.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,165 housing units at an average density of {{convert|32.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.58% White, 0.10% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 1,116 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,486, and the median income for a family was $59,350. Males had a median income of $40,125 versus $29,737 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,616. About 2.1% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

• Alice Moore Hubbard, American feminist, writer, and, with her husband, Elbert Hubbard was a leading figure in the Roycroft movement
• John James Knowlton, former Wisconsin State Assemblyman
• Wally Schang, a catcher in major league baseball from 1913 to 1931. Schang Rd. in Wales named after him
• Adoniram J. Warner, former US Congressman, Union Army General in American Civil War

• Buffalo Creek – A stream flowing northward through the town.
• Colgrave – A location on Centerline Road in the western part of the town.
• Goodleburg Cemetery – An unused cemetery located in the town.
• South Wales – A hamlet on the border of the town of Aurora in the southwest part of Wales. This community lies at the south end of NY-400 on NY-16 and is the home of the Gow School.
• Wales Center – A hamlet near the northern town border.
• Wales Hollow (or "Woods Hollow") – A location near the town's western edge.

• Iroquois Central School District

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.townofwales.com Town of Wales official website]
• [http://history.rays-place.com/ny/wales-ny.htm "History of Wales, NY" (1898)]
• [http://www.eastaurorany.com East Aurora Advertiser], local community newspaper

{{Erie County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Populated places established in 1818

Category:Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area

Category:Towns in Erie County, New York

Category:Towns in New York (state)