Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,167.
Brighton’s best subject grades are an A− for health and an A+ for history and the outdoors; its weakest is a C for cost of living. Brighton’s median age is 22.2 years, below both New York’s towns (43 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 1 of the 759 New York towns we compare have a lower January low than Brighton. 74% of the land in Brighton is conserved, against 5.2% in New York’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Debar Mountain Wild Forest, 22,481 acres with 15.6 miles of trail. On the outdoors, just 18 of New York’s 1,216 towns do better. Brighton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Brighton beats most towns.
1,435 counted in 2010 and 1,174 in 2020; an estimated 1,167 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Brighton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 208 in 1860, 1,435 in 2010. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 4 maps from 1902 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Brighton, 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 Brighton.
63 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The trail density in Brighton is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Debar Mountain Wild Forest | 15.6 mi | 22,481 |
| 2. Saint Regis Canoe Area | 2.5 mi | 901 |
| 3. Saranac Lakes Wild Forest | 0.9 mi | 1,209 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Adults 18 to 34 are 54% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 23% of residents (39% statewide). 43% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Brighton.
| Brighton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 20% | 18% |
40% women, 60% men
About 150 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7.5 points). Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 70% are men (NY 50%).
| Brighton | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2.8% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.3% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 49.1% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.1% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.8% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.7% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 15.9% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.7% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.5% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.8% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.7% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Most working residents leave Brighton for work: only 6% work in town. Brighton’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Brighton fell to 717 in 2023, 212 fewer than in 2013.
| Brighton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.6% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Brighton beats the New York average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 21% of Brighton adults binge drink.
| Brighton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.1% | 11% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Brighton | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 17.2% |
| More adults with depression | 22.7% | 17.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brighton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Only 6 of the 759 New York towns we compare have a lower July high than Brighton. Brighton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brighton. Close and well known come first.
29 mi MountainMount Marcy
33 mi State parkAdirondack Park
19 mi MountainWhiteface Mountain
29 mi LakeLake Tear of the Clouds
20 mi LandmarkJohn Brown Farm State Historic Site
18 mi Stadium & arenaHerb Brooks ArenaMount Marcy: Daniel Tripp, Public domain · Adirondack Park: Original uploader was Mwanner at en.wikipedia Later version(s) were uploaded by, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whiteface Mountain: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Tear of the Clouds: TheKilimanjaro, CC BY-SA 4.0 · John Brown Farm State Historic Site: Mwanner | Talk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herb Brooks Arena: KevinTR at English Wikipedia, CC0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Brighton
College town 48 of every 100 Brighton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
6 places in Brighton on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Brighton is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,435 at the 2010 census. It was named after Brighton, England, by early surveyors in the region. The town is in the southern part of the county and is inside the Adirondack Park. Paul Smith's College is in the community of Paul Smiths, a hamlet of Brighton.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
2 notable people were born here, including Charles Billinghurst and William T. O'Neil.
