Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Aurora’s average trip to work is 13 minutes, below both New York’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 1 of the 759 New York towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Aurora. Aurora has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Aurora beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 500 in 1840, a peak of 1,072 in 1970, 607 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1848 and 2 maps from 1943 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aurora, 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 Aurora.
Most working residents leave Aurora for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Aurora has added 150 jobs, to 565 in 2023. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Aurora, above both the New York town median (9.5%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
| Aurora | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Aurora.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Aurora home is worth about $343,000, up 7.2% in a year, 35% below the New York typical home. Aurora’s median rent is $1,350 a month.
| Aurora | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,350 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Aurora has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 17° and about 56 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
21% of Aurora adults have high blood pressure. Only 7 of the 756 New York towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Aurora. 26% of Aurora adults have obesity.
| Aurora | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 34% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 5.7% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Aurora | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 5.7% | 11.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2% | 3.4% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19.5% | 15% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Aurora. Close and well known come first.
4 mi LakeCayuga Lake
12 mi LakeSeneca Lake
35 mi Stadium & arenaJMA Wireless Dome
15 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
27 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
34 mi LakeOnondaga LakeCayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · JMA Wireless Dome: Jimhoward03, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Onondaga Lake: R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Aurora
College town 65 of every 100 Aurora residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Aurora’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 notable people were born in Aurora.
Village in New York, United States
Aurora, or Aurora-on-Cayuga, is a village and former college town in the town of Ledyard, Cayuga County, New York, United States, on the shore of Cayuga Lake. The village had a population of 724 at the 2010 census. Wells College, an institution of higher education for women founded by Henry Wells in 1868, was located in Aurora. It became coeducational in 2005 and closed in 2024. In 1980, its Aurora Village-Wells College Historic District, with more than 50 contributing properties, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From 2001 to 2007, controversial redevelopment of historic properties in the village by American Girl doll-creator Pleasant Rowland and the Aurora Foundation…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Aurora has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
7 notable people were born here, including Lewis H. Morgan and Nora May French.
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