Recreation

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Sodus Bay provides public access for boating, paddling, and freshwater fishing, and supports species including walleye, bass, trout, salmon, northern pike, and yellow perch. Ice fishing is practiced during winter months when conditions permit, and regional reporting has noted fluctuations in ice conditions affecting seasonal recreation.

Organized sailing has long been associated with Sodus Bay. The Sodus Bay Yacht Club, founded in 1893, hosts competitive regattas and sailing events on the bay. In 2022, the club hosted the 136th Annual Lake Yacht Racing Association (LYRA) Regatta, drawing competitors from across the Lake Ontario region. Iceboat sailing is also practiced on the frozen bay during suitable winter conditions.

Winter sports in the town include alpine skiing at Brantling Ski Slopes on Fish Farm Road. According to ski industry reporting, Olympic alpine skier Diann Roffe learned to ski at Brantling before winning a gold medal in the women's Super-G at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. She was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2003.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,384 people, 3,325 households, and 2,189 families residing in the town. The population density was 120.8 inhabitants per square mile (46.6/km²).

The racial composition of the town was 84.8% White, 8.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.2% of the population.

There were 3,325 households, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Married couples living together represented 49.0% of households, while 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present. Non-family households accounted for 34.2% of all households. Individuals made up 27.2% of households, and 10.6% of households consisted of someone aged 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 2.97.

The population distribution was 24.6% under age 20, 5.1% from 20 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% aged 65 or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median household income was $46,896, and the median family income was $56,128. Males had a median income of $42,735 compared to $37,267 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,898. Approximately 11.4% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or older.

There were 4,158 housing units at an average density of 59.9 units per square mile (23.1/km²). Approximately 20.0% of housing units were vacant.

Of the 3,325 occupied housing units, 2,585 (77.7%) were owner-occupied and 740 (22.3%) were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%, and the rental vacancy rate was 14.8%.

Notable people

  • John Ashbery (1927–2017), poet
  • A. Cornelius Baker (1961–2024) — public health advocate and HIV/AIDS policy figure.
  • Elizabeth F. Ellet (1818-1877), author, historian, and poet
  • Gordon Granger (1821–1876), Union Army General
  • Byram Green (1786–1865), US Congressman
  • Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1906-2000), world-renowned golf course designer started his career as the first golf pro and superintendent at the Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club, where he began designing tees and greens before gaining international fame.
  • Greg Logins Jr. (born 1988) — pro basketball player.
  • Elliott B. Norris (1845–1918) — served in the New York State Assembly (Wayne County, 1st District) (sat in 1891).
  • Henry Perrine (1797–1840) — physician and horticulturalist; he and his family moved to Sodus, New York (his wife's hometown)
  • Ellen Sergeant Rude (1838–1916), writer, poet, temperance advocate, and first woman to be elected to a Board of Education in NY State
  • Eliphalet Stone (1825–1905), Wisconsin state legislator
  • William Leete Stone Sr. (1792–1844), journalist and historian
  • James A. Symonds (b. 1953), United States Navy rear admiral and former commander of Navy Region Northwest; previously commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.
  • Alexander B. Williams (b. 1815), Sodus Town Supervisor and state legislator

Communities and locations in the Town of Sodus

  • Alton — A hamlet near the east town line on NY-14. Alasa Farms was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.