The area was first settled around 1809. The town of Charlotte was founded in 1829 from a division of the town of Gerry. In 1900, the population was 1,406. In April 1995, a large tire fire occurred at the Hornburg tire disposal facility located along Route 60 in Charlotte, just outside the village of Sinclairville. The fire continued to burn until July 1995 and forced the evacuation of local residents and the temporary closure of a nearby school.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, all of it land. New York State Route 60 is a major north-south route near the west town line. Mill Creek flows southwest through the town.
At the 2000 census there were 1,713 people, 612 households, and 457 families in the town. The population density was 46.9 people per square mile. There were 704 housing units at an average density of 19.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98.42% White, 0.18% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.40% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. There was 612 households, 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couplesliving together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.3% of households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.22. The age distribution was 29.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who was 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there was 99.7 males. The median household income was $35,192 and the median family income was $40,893. Males had a median income of $32,009 versus $22,734 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,733. 11.7% of the population and 10.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.1% of those under the age of 18 and 17.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. At the 2010 census, there were 1,729 people and 670 households residing in the town. The population density was 47.4 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.92% white, 0.17% African-American, 0.29% Asian, 0.29% Native American/Alaskan, 0.46% other, and 0.87% two or more races. 2.02% of the population was Hispanic/Latino of any race. Out of the 670 households, 32.4% of them had children under the age of 18 living with them. The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 2.72% ages 18 and 19, 5.55% ages 20–24, 10.41% ages 25–34, 22.73% ages 35–49, 21.63% ages 50–64, and 12.96% over the age of 65. 51.3% of the population was male while 48.7% were female.
