Portageville is a hamlet located in the Town of Genesee Falls in Wyoming County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 859. Its name derives from the Native American canoists who would withdraw their craft from the river to avoid going over three waterfalls in the Genesee River gorge. They had to portage several miles to the site of present day Mount Morris where they could embark for the rest of the journey downriver.

Portageville is the only named community in the Town of Genesee Falls.

The Genesee River Gorge with its scenic waterfalls was formed after the original valley was buried in glacial debris from the last ice age and the river had to cut a new valley though the Devonian sedimentary rock of the area. It has also been called The Grand Canyon of the East. The site has now been designated Letchworth State Park and is a major tourist attraction, with the upper entrance at Portage.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 69.0 km² (26.6 mi²). 68.3 km² (26.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.94% water.

The Genesee River passes by the community on the east side.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 859 people, 308 households, and 232 families residing in the community. The population density is 12.6/km² (32.6/mi²). There are 352 housing units at an average density of 5.2/km² (13.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the area is 97.09% White, 0.12% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 308 households out of which 40.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% are married couples living together, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% are non-families. 16.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.79 and the average family size is 3.11.

In the hamlet, the population is spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.3 males.

The median income for a household in the community is $32,500, and the median income for a family is $38,750. Males have a median income of $29,000 versus $18,846 for females. The per capita income for the town is $13,717. 14.0% of the population and 9.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.3% are under the age of 18 and 14.1% are 65 or older.