Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Big Flats grades B− overall, 384th of 745 graded towns in New York, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It has 24 miles of trail and natural-hazard risk is low. It also does better than most on health: it is healthier than 74% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $265K for a typical one and 4.2 times the Elmira metro’s $64K median household income. 51% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Big Flats, against 32% in New York’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Big Flats has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Mount Saviour Monastery. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 77% of U.S. towns.
Where Big Flats beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Big Flats is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,149 in 1830, 7,822 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 3 maps from 1895 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Flats, 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 Big Flats.
Big Flats has less no health insurance than most of New York, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
Typical home values rose 8.8% in the year to September 2026. Big Flats’ median rent is $1,345 a month.
| Big Flats | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,345 a month | $1,098 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Horseheads Central School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Flats SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 372 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Steege Hill Nature Preserve, at 839 acres with 6.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Big Flats | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.9% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Steege Hill Nature Preserve | 6.9 mi | 839 |
| 2. Plymouth Woods Nature Preserve | 1.6 mi | 89 |
| 3. Big Flats Community Park | 1.5 mi | 99 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with New York is no health insurance: 4.9% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 7.9% statewide.
30% of adults have obesity in Big Flats. Big Flats beats the New York average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 82% of adults had a checkup this year in Big Flats.
| Big Flats | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 81% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 37% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 4.9% | 5.9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Big Flats | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.7% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 29 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Big Flats.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Big Flats has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 5,969 in 2013 to 4,579. The average commute for its 3,131 working residents takes 17.2 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Big Flats for work: only 11% work in town. The average trip to work in Big Flats is 17 minutes. Jobs based in Big Flats fell to 4,579 in 2023, 1,390 fewer than in 2013.
| Big Flats | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Big Flats. Close and well known come first.
7 mi MuseumCorning Museum of Glass400K visitors a year
36 mi LakeSeneca Lake
17 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
40 mi LakeCayuga Lake
33 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
31 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf FieldCorning Museum of Glass: User:Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · 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
3 within 15 miles of the center of Big Flats
About 3 of every 100 Big Flats residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
4 notable people were born in Big Flats.
Town in New York, United States
Big Flats is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 7,822 at the 2020 census. The town is on the western border of the county, west of Elmira. It is part of the Elmira Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town contains a hamlet also named Big Flats.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Big Flats.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Horseheads (B−) comes closest.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Flats | #384 | B− | C | — | B | B+ |
| Southport | #688 | D | B− | — | D | C+ |
| Corning | #459 | C+ | C+ | — | C+ | A− |
| Horseheads | #431 | B− | C | — | B | B+ |
| Catlin | — | — | C | — | B− | B+ |
| Elmira | #536 | C | C+ | A+ | D | C− |
| West Elmira | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Catlin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Big Flats, Southport, Corning, Horseheads and Catlin report no FBI crime data of their own. West Elmira isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Big Flats with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Big Flats grades B− overall, better than 51% of U.S. towns and #384 of 745 in New York. It grades B+ for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
4 notable people were born here, including John Maynard Woodworth and Christopher Friend.
