Where Do The Most Amish People Live In New York?

Which parts of New York have the biggest Amish populations? I was watching this Lifetime Movie Network made for TV movie called 'An Amish Sin,' and got curious. I find Amish and other foundational religious sects fascinating. The movie is about an Amish young lady who is tired of being abused by her uncle, who she is supposed to get married to. She boldly decides to run away from the abusive situation and has to learn how to live in the modern world. But she gets drawn back into her settlement by the death of her mother.

Credit: IGN Movie Trailers via Youtube

While I was watching the movie, I began to wonder how many Amish people live in New York State and where they are located.

Who Are The Amish?

The Amish are traditionalists of the Christian faith. The Amish church originated as a split of a group of Swiss and Alsatian Mennonite Anabaptists in 1693. Led by Jakob Ammann the group became known as the Amish. The Amish began to migrate to North America between 1717 and 1750. According to Wikipedia,

"The Amish are closely related to Old Order Mennonites and Conservative Mennonites, denominations that are also a part of Anabaptist Christianity. The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, Christian pacifism, and slowness to adopt many conveniences of modern technology, with a view neither to interrupt family time, nor replace face-to-face conversations whenever possible, and a view to maintain self-sufficiency."

When it comes to the state with the largest population of Amish, Pennsylvania takes the cake with 92,660. The Amish population in Pennsylvania has almost tripled in 30 years. In 1992, 32,710 Amish were living in the state. New York doesn't even make the top three - Ohio and Indiana have the second and third-largest Amish populations, respectively.

New York ranks fifth, behind Wisconsin, with a total population of 24,325, which has grown exponentially since 1992 when the population was only 4,050, according to Wikipedia.

The places in New York with the most Amish are:

Mohawk Valley

The majority of the Amish population in the Mohawk Valley is located in the Oneida County area.

Clymer

Clymer is located in Chautauqua County, near the Pennsylvania border. There are approximately 1,475 Amish living in the area.

Romulus / Ovid

Romulus and Ovid are located in Seneca County. The Amish population is around 1,065.

Conewango Valley

Conewango, which was founded in 1949, is the oldest Amish settlement in the state of New York. It is located in Cattaraugus County. Around 2,700 Amish are living there.

Heuvelton

Heuvelton is located near the Canadian border in St. Lawrence County. There are 12 church districts and more than 2,900 Amish living in the area, making it the largest settlement in New York State.

View All Amish Populations In New York State

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