Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Brighton grades B+ overall, 272nd among New York's 745 graded towns. It is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns. Its schools outperform 77% of the state's. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $282K, 3.7 years of the Rochester metro’s $76K median household income. 69% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Brighton, above both the New York town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Brighton is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 85% of U.S. towns. Brighton is home to Monroe Community College.
Where Brighton beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,972 in 1820, a low of 1,972 in 1820, 37,137 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 8 maps from 1895 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Brighton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brighton. Close and well known come first.
2 mi MuseumGeorge Eastman Museum
3 mi Stadium & arenaBlue Cross Arena
3 mi MuseumThe National Museum of Play
20 mi MountainCumorah
39 mi State parkLetchworth State Park8 mi Theme parkSeabreeze Amusement ParkGeorge Eastman Museum: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Blue Cross Arena: Matthew D. Wilson (LtPowers), CC BY-SA 3.0 · The National Museum of Play: Misc, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Letchworth State Park: Suandsoe, CC BY-SA 3.0
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.
Brighton gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, has less no health insurance than most of New York and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
24 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. Brighton’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Ellison Park, 98 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
| Brighton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.6 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.5% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Meridian Centre Park | 2.3 mi | 66 |
| 2. Corbett's Glen Nature Park | 2.2 mi | 60 |
| 3. Ellison Park | 1.5 mi | 98 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Brighton Central School District. Three of its 15 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twelve Corners Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 759 | B |
| Brighton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,164 | A+ |
| Allen Creek SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 365 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with New York is no health insurance: 4.5% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 7.9% statewide.
27% of Brighton adults have obesity. Brighton beats the New York average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 8.4% of Brighton adults smoke cigarettes.
| Brighton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Brighton | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.5% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.2% | 17.2% |
| More adults with depression | 21.8% | 17.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brighton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Rochester Gtr Intl Ap weather station, 5 miles away, records that 102 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Brighton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Brighton is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 963 to 735 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 15,707 working residents takes 16.9 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Brighton for work: only 9% work in town. 22% of workers work from home in Brighton. Since 2013, Brighton has lost 2,271 jobs, to 21,796 in 2023.
| Brighton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 22% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
12 within 15 miles of the center of Brighton
About 9 of every 100 Brighton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
4 places in Brighton on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Brighton is a town and census-designated place in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 37,137 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Brighton.
Rochester next door grades lower for schools (D− to Brighton’s A−) and higher for cost of living (C+ to D).
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | #272 | B+ | D | C+ | A− | A |
| Penfield | #110 | A | C− | — | A− | A |
| Rochester | #737 | D− | C+ | D | D− | C− |
| Chili | #171 | A− | C | — | B | A− |
| Henrietta | #148 | A− | C | — | B+ | A |
| Pittsford | #13 | A+ | C− | — | A | A+ |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Irondequoit | #354 | B | C+ | C+ | B | B+ |
Penfield, Chili, Henrietta and Pittsford report no FBI crime data of their own. Rochester Institute of Technology isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Brighton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Brighton grades B+ overall, better than 67% of U.S. towns and #272 of 745 in New York. It grades A for health, C+ for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $282,000, 46% 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 D.
2 notable people were born here, including Dana Fox and Robert L. King.
