Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Berkshire’s best subject grades are an A+ for history and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D for walkability. Berkshire’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both the New York town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 65 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on walkability. Berkshire's schools rank behind 70% of the state's. Its National Register listings include Lyman P. Akins House and Robert Akins House. Berkshire has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Berkshire beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,502 in 1820, 1,485 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2017 and 2 maps from 1903 on.
14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Berkshire is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berkshire, 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 Berkshire.
1.6% of Berkshire working residents work locally, against 10% in New York’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Ithaca (12%), Ithaca (8%) and Owego (6%). Half commute less than 19 miles.
| Berkshire | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Berkshire has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Berkshire is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Berkshire beats the New York average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 40% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Berkshire.
| Berkshire | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Berkshire | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.8% | 17.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Berkshire.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
9.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Jenksville State Forest, at 981 acres with 7.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Berkshire | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.3% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jenksville State Forest | 7.4 mi | 981 |
| 2. Greenwood Park | 0.2 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
84% of Berkshire households own their home.
| Berkshire | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,368 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 Berkshire. Close and well known come first.
39 mi LakeCayuga Lake
37 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
28 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
19 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf Field
20 mi MuseumHerbert F. Johnson Museum of Art80K visitors a year14 mi Ski areaGreek Peak Mountain Resort43 runs · 828 ft verticalCayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Schoellkopf Field: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Originally uploaded by en:User:Cornell010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Berkshire; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Berkshire residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
14 places in Berkshire on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Berkshire is a town in Tioga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,485. The town is named after Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The Town of Berkshire is in the northeastern part of the county and is northwest of Binghamton and southeast of Ithaca.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
The typical home is worth about $142,000, 73% 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 William S. Lincoln and George Fisk Comfort.
