Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,755, settled in 1823.
Alden is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades A− overall, ranked 182nd of 745 in New York, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: it is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 68% of the state's. A typical home there costs about $214K, 3 years of the Buffalo metro’s $72K median household income. Only 70 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on the outdoors. Alden’s typical journey to work is 29 minutes, above both the New York town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Alden is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 72% of U.S. towns.
Where Alden beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Alden | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.1% | 12.8% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Alden is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,257 in 1830, 9,706 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1866 and 4 maps from 1905 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Alden. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi WaterfallNiagara Falls
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaHighmark Stadium
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaRalph Wilson Stadium6 mi Theme parkSix Flags Darien Lake1.5M visitors a year
32 mi WaterfallHorseshoe Falls
19 mi Stadium & arenaKeyBank CenterNiagara Falls: Robert F. Tobler, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Highmark Stadium: James161723, CC0 · Ralph Wilson Stadium: User Evilarry on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Horseshoe Falls: Ujjwal Kumar, Public domain · KeyBank Center: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alden, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Alden.
Alden gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, trades workers with Alden and other neighbors and has less tooth loss than most of New York.
Its widest gap with New York is tooth loss: 6.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.8% statewide.
Alden: 19% of adults binge drink. 83% of adults here had a checkup this year; 30% feel lonely.
| Alden | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Alden | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.1% | 12.8% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Since 1979, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Alden. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 80% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Alden households in 6 declared disasters; the latest was in 2022. Expected losses in Alden break down as 67% from inland flooding and 22% from cold waves.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Wales weather station, 12 miles away, records that 109 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. The Wales weather station, 12 miles away, records that about 1 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 97% of U.S. towns.
The midsummer high for Alden comes to 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Alden has about as many jobs (1,255) as working residents, but only 120 people both live and work here.
Half commute less than 14 miles. Alden’s median household income comes in at $71,000. For most workers, Alden is a place to come home to: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Alden (15%), Buffalo (12%) and Amherst (11%).
| Alden | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Alden; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Alden residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
3 notable people were born in Alden.
Town in New York, United States
Alden is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 10,865 at the 2010 census. The town is derived from a family name known to early settlers. Alden is in the northeast part of Erie County, east of Buffalo. It contains a village also called Alden.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Alden grades A− overall, better than 77% of U.S. towns and #182 of 745 in New York. It grades A− for health and B+ for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
3 notable people were born here, including Lyman K. Bass and Josephine Cushman Bateham.
