Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Good on most counts; one lags. Allegany grades B overall, better than nearly three fifths of U.S. towns, and ranks 326th of 745 in New York. Its strongest is walkability: it is more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns. Schools are another plus — its schools rank ahead of 65% of New York towns. What counts against it is incomes — the median household income is $72K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. It also trails on hazard risk — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than three fifths of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. A typical home there costs about $169K, 2.8 years of the Olean area’s $60K median household income. The biggest park or preserve is Nine Mile Creek State Forest, at 3,177 acres.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · OpenStreetMap.
Where Allegany beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Allegany is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 530 in 1840, 7,493 in 2020. The archive holds 5 maps from 1898 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Allegany, 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 Allegany.
Allegany is shaped by its college students and trades workers with Olean and other neighbors.
43 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. In Allegany, the density of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in New York’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
| Allegany | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.2% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nine Mile Creek State Forest | 0.5 mi | 3,177 |
| 2. Birch Run Ponds Wildlife Management Area | 0.4 mi | 36 |
| 3. Gargoyle Park | 0.1 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The largest public high school is Allegany-Limestone Middle-High School, with 562 students. The Allegany-Limestone Central School District runs its public schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany-Limestone Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 466 | B |
| Allegany-Limestone Middle-High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 562 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
23.4% of residents are enrolled in college, against 7% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
Allegany: 15% of residents are under 18. Adults 18 to 34 are a third of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (39% statewide). Also worth knowing: in Allegany, the median age is 37.4 years, where New York’s towns sit at 43 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
| Allegany | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.4 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 20% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.2 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Allegany | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.7% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 26.3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.6% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.2% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.6% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.6% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.6% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.2% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Allegany has about as many jobs (3,173) as working residents, but only 442 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 19.6 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Allegany’s average commute stands at 20 minutes. Most people who work leave Allegany to do it: just 16% work in town. Employers in Allegany added 292 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 3,173. Half the trips to work are shorter than 13 miles.
| Allegany | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Of 32 CDC measures, Allegany beats the New York average on 6 and trails it on 7. In Allegany, 83% of adults had a checkup this year. Two figures for adults in the town: 38% have high blood pressure, 31% feel lonely.
| Allegany | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Allegany | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.3% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Since 1978, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Allegany. Expected losses in Allegany break down as 85% from inland flooding and 5% from tornadoes. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 7 declared disasters, most recently in 2009.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For households in Allegany, the share who are owner-occupiers is 80%. Its midpoint rent comes in at $728 a month.
| Allegany | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $728 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Allegany. Close and well known come first.
30 mi DamKinzua Dam
23 mi State parkKinzua Bridge State Park
39 mi National forestAllegheny National Forest
10 mi State parkAllegany State Park14 mi Ski areaHoliday Valley79 runs · 790 ft vertical15 mi Ski areaHolimont42 runs · 671 ft verticalKinzua Dam: Niagara, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kinzua Bridge State Park: Nicholas from Pennsylvania, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Allegheny National Forest: IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5 · Allegany State Park: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Allegany
College town 23 of every 100 Allegany residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Town in New York, United States
Allegany is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 7,493 at the 2020 census. The Town of Allegany is on the south border of the county, west of the City of Olean. There is a village named Allegany inside this town. The origin of the name Allegany is uncertain. It may have come from the name of a tribe called Allegewi that lived along the Allegheny River's banks. It may also be based on a Native American word meaning "lovely" or "beautiful".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Allegany.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany | #326 | B | B | — | B+ | B |
| Carrollton | — | — | A | — | B+ | C+ |
| Olean | — | — | B | — | B | C+ |
| Humphrey | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| St. Bonaventure | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Olean | #695 | D | B− | D | C | C |
Carrollton and Olean have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Allegany, Carrollton and Olean report no FBI crime data of their own. Humphrey and St. Bonaventure aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Allegany with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Allegany grades B overall, better than 59% of U.S. towns and #326 of 745 in New York. It grades B for health and B+ for schools.
The typical home is worth about $169,000, 68% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including Leon Jacob Cole and Willard M. Smith.
