Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Bedford earns an A+, 31st among New York's 745 graded towns. Residents are healthier than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 97% of U.S. towns, and the median household earns $196K. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $939K, 9.5 years of the New York metro’s $99K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 11 places on the National Register. 68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bedford, above both New York’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (29%). The biggest place to walk is Westmoreland Sanctuary, 380 acres with 6.5 miles of trail.
John Jay Homestead is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1868 and 3 maps from 1955 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Bedford is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for health (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the A+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bedford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
Big draw34 mi City parkCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw36 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw35 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a yearUnited States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bedford, 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 Bedford.
Bedford trades workers with New York City and other neighbors, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half and has homes that cost more against local pay than most of New York.
Its widest gap with New York is tooth loss: 5.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.8% statewide. Against the 1,011 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bedford’s, it is healthier than 65%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
For adults in Bedford, the share who have obesity is 24%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Bedford is ahead of New York on 23 and behind on 1. Among adults here, 17% have been diagnosed with depression and 13% report frequent mental distress.
| Bedford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 33% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 21% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Bedford | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.6% | 12.8% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A− for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $939K.
The Bedford Central School District runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Fox Lane High School, with 1,155 students. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Lane Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 767 | C+ |
| Fox Lane High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,155 | A |
| Katonah Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 405 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes rose from 19 to 50 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 residents.
In Bedford, the level of property crime is 3 per 1,000 residents. The town’s rate of reported violence stands at 0.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Bedford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 7.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.1 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Bedford’s trail network density comes in at 0.8 miles per square mile. Walkers can cover 31 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Westmoreland Sanctuary | 6.5 mi | 380 |
| 2. Arthur W Butler Memorial Sanctuary | 6.2 mi | 361 |
| 3. Merestead County Park | 2.9 mi | 123 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The natural-hazard score from FEMA for Bedford comes to 23 of 100. Since 1978, 44 flood insurance claims have been paid out here. FEMA puts 76% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 8% to hurricanes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Bedford after 9 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Summer afternoons peak near 84° in July, and January nights bottom out around 20°; snowfall runs to about 34 inches a winter. Winters in Bedford are chilly, snowy and summers warm, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bedford has about as many jobs (6,919) as working residents, but only 697 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 41.3 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
The top destinations are New York (33%), Mount Kisco (4%) and White Plains (3%). Bedford’s mean commuting time is 41 minutes. The median commute is under 25 miles.
| Bedford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 28% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 41 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $196,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 9.5 years of the New York metro’s $99K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 92% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
The rent at the middle of the market in Bedford is $2,191 a month. In Bedford, four in five households live in a home they own.
| Bedford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,191 a month | $1,098 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
8 within 15 miles of the center of Bedford
About 3 of every 100 Bedford residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
11 places in Bedford on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 towns share a border with Bedford.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | #31 | A+ | D− | A+ | A− | A+ |
| Mount Kisco | #210 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A |
| Somers | #83 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Lewisboro | #8 | A+ | D | A+ | A | A+ |
| Pound Ridge | #45 | A+ | D | A | B+ | A+ |
| North Castle | #34 | A+ | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| New Castle | #42 | A+ | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Golden's Bridge | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Mount Kisco, Somers, North Castle and New Castle report no FBI crime data of their own. Golden's Bridge isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Bedford with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Bedford grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #31 of 745 in New York. It grades A+ for health, A+ for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes, by national standards. Bedford reports less crime per resident than 97% of U.S. towns, an A+ Safety Grade: 1 violent and 49 property crimes in 2025.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $939,000, 79% above 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 D−.
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