Delhi ( ) is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 4,795 at the 2020 census. The town is in the east-central part of the county and contains the village of Delhi. The State University of New York at Delhi is located in the town.
The town was named after Delhi, India, in honor of founder Ebenezer Foote, who was known as "The Great Mogul". The pronunciation is attributed to Foote's rival Erastus Root, who reportedly exclaimed upon learning of the town's name, "Delhi, Hell-high! Might as well call it Foote-high." An alternate explanation of its pronunciation and namesake is due to its location, high on the Delaware River.
Delhi was formed from the towns of Kortright, Middletown, and Walton, on March 23, 1798.
The town is in the center of Delaware County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.62%, is water. The West Branch Delaware River flows through the center of the town. The Little Delaware River enters the West Branch from the east, just south of Delhi village.
As of the census of 2020, there were 4,795 people, 1,520 households, and 928 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,893 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 80.33% White, 9.05% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.94% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.02% from other races, and 5.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 8.20% of the population.
There were 1,520 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples living together, 31.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29, and the average family size was 2.72.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 12.1% under the age of 18, 39.12% from 18 to 24, 14.31% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 119.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $63,333, and the median income for a family was $84,038. The per capita income for the town was $16,842. About 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
The town is the setting of the 1959 novel My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.