Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Barker’s subject grades is a B+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D for walkability. Only 64 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on walkability. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Barker, against 9.5% in New York’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 6 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on the outdoors. Chenango Canal Prism and Lock 107 is on the National Register of Historic Places. Barker has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Barker beats most towns.
Where Barker’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Barker is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1980.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barker, 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 Barker.
Most working residents leave Barker for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Barker has lost 65 jobs, to 206 in 2023. Barker’s median household income is $64,000, where New York’s towns sit at $82,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
| Barker | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Barker has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Barker’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Barker.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Barker beats the New York average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 34% of adults feel lonely in Barker.
| Barker | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Barker | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.6% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.1 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Only 5 of the 741 New York towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Barker.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
94% of Barker households own their home.
| Barker | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 94% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $831 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Barker. Close and well known come first.
32 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf Field
12 mi Stadium & arenaBroome County Veterans Memorial Arena20 mi Ski areaGreek Peak Mountain Resort43 runs · 828 ft vertical
32 mi MuseumHerbert F. Johnson Museum of Art80K visitors a year32 mi AttractionSagan Planet Walk14 mi Zoo & aquariumBinghamton Zoo at Ross ParkSchoellkopf Field: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Originally uploaded by en:User:Cornell010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena: Bmoore2009 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Barker
About 4 of every 100 Barker residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Town in New York, United States
Barker is a town in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 2,516 at the 2020 census. The town is named after John Barker, an early settler. The town is in the northern part of Broome County and is north of Binghamton.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Barker.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barker | — | — | B+ | — | B− | B− |
| Chenango | #543 | C | B− | — | B | B− |
| Nanticoke | — | — | B− | — | C+ | B− |
| Greene | #538 | C | B− | — | C+ | B− |
| Triangle | #500 | C+ | B+ | — | C+ | B |
| Fenton | #546 | C | B− | — | B | C |
| Maine | #578 | C | B− | — | B | B |
Barker and Nanticoke have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Barker, Chenango, Nanticoke, Greene, Triangle, Fenton and Maine report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Barker with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $129,000, 76% 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+.
