2026 ranking

Best small towns to live in New York

The 25 New York small towns with the best mix of affordability, safety, schools and jobs, picked from 191 real small towns of 1,000 to 15,000 people — not suburbs.

1
Cuba, NY Score 79/100
1,807 people · typical home $86k · household income $62k · 66 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 24% of NY · 4.0% unemployment · 12 mi to a hospital
2
Wellsville, NY Score 74/100
4,923 people · typical home $91k · household income $55k · 36 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 62% of NY · 6.0% unemployment · 3 mi to a hospital
3
Houghton, NY Score 71/100
1,728 people · typical home $163k · household income $84k · 17 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 39% of NY · 6.0% unemployment · 22 mi to a hospital
4
Lowville, NY Score 71/100
3,404 people · typical home $164k · household income $68k · 34 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 22% of NY · 7.0% unemployment · 4 mi to a hospital
5
Shortsville, NY Score 71/100
1,713 people · typical home $135k · household income $91k · 150 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 47% of NY · 3.0% unemployment · 4 mi to a hospital
6
Hamilton, NY Score 71/100
4,370 people · typical home $264k · household income $67k · 26 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 16% of NY · 3.0% unemployment · 1 mi to a hospital
7
Fort Plain, NY Score 70/100
2,290 people · typical home $81k · household income $50k · 105 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 51% of NY · 3.0% unemployment · 16 mi to a hospital
8
Manchester, NY Score 70/100
1,631 people · typical home $110k · household income $66k · 150 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 48% of NY · 1.0% unemployment · 5 mi to a hospital
9
Franklinville, NY Score 70/100
1,938 people · typical home $97k · household income $72k · 65 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 27% of NY · 5.0% unemployment · 18 mi to a hospital
10
South Corning, NY Score 70/100
1,132 people · typical home $125k · household income $59k · 32 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 51% of NY · 6.0% unemployment · 0 mi to a hospital
11
Mineville, NY Score 70/100
1,206 people · typical home $111k · household income $69k · 32 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 79% of NY · 1.0% unemployment · 9 mi to a hospital
12
Wayland, NY Score 68/100
2,007 people · typical home $100k · household income $75k · 32 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 81% of NY · 2.0% unemployment · 7 mi to a hospital
13
Champlain, NY Score 68/100
1,270 people · typical home $123k · household income $65k · 47 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 58% of NY · 4.0% unemployment · 19 mi to a hospital
14
Cumberland Head, NY Score 68/100
1,535 people · typical home $205k · household income $108k · 47 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 66% of NY · 4.0% unemployment · 4 mi to a hospital
15
Gang Mills, NY Score 68/100
4,177 people · typical home $308k · household income $108k · 32 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 51% of NY · 2.0% unemployment · 6 mi to a hospital
16
Bolivar, NY Score 67/100
1,124 people · typical home $72k · household income $56k · 45 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 67% of NY · 8.0% unemployment · 12 mi to a hospital
17
Bard College, NY Score 67/100
1,130 people · typical home $401k · household income $216k · 110 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 49% of NY · 3.0% unemployment · 6 mi to a hospital
18
Avoca, NY Score 67/100
1,023 people · typical home $84k · household income $66k · 32 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 77% of NY · 5.0% unemployment · 6 mi to a hospital
19
Highland Falls, NY Score 67/100
3,683 people · typical home $354k · household income $111k · 39 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 24% of NY · 7.0% unemployment · 2 mi to a hospital
20
Unadilla, NY Score 67/100
1,419 people · typical home $111k · household income $66k · 62 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 66% of NY · 5.0% unemployment · 13 mi to a hospital
21
Plattsburgh West, NY Score 66/100
1,328 people · typical home $60k · household income $50k · 47 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 67% of NY · 12.0% unemployment · 2 mi to a hospital
22
Corning, NY Score 66/100
10,643 people · typical home $158k · household income $62k · 32 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 51% of NY · 6.0% unemployment · 2 mi to a hospital
23
Attica, NY Score 66/100
2,028 people · typical home $157k · household income $62k · 40 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 53% of NY · 4.0% unemployment · 10 mi to a hospital
24
Moravia, NY Score 65/100
1,385 people · typical home $131k · household income $63k · 77 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 50% of NY · 4.0% unemployment · 15 mi to a hospital
25
Cutchogue, NY Score 65/100
2,835 people · typical home $918k · household income $143k · 9 violent crimes per 100k · schools in the top 32% of NY · 1.0% unemployment · 11 mi to a hospital

How we ranked them

Every small town in New York with 1,000–15,000 people that stands on its own (not part of a big metro core, by USDA rural-urban codes) and has solid Census data. Each town is scored against the others in New York on: affordability (household income vs. home prices), safety (violent crime, FBI), schools (reading proficiency vs. other New York districts), jobs (unemployment, half weight) and everyday access (distance to a hospital and a grocery store, quarter weight each). Missing numbers count as average.

The "best" town is different for everyone — weather, size, politics, things to do and more all matter too.

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