Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Cato’s subject grades is an A− for history. Cato’s median age is 48.7 years, above both the New York town median (43 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). William Smith Ingham House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cato has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cato beats most towns.
Where Cato’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Cato is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,075 in 1810, a peak of 4,021 in 1820, 2,445 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1978 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cato, 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 Cato.
Most working residents leave Cato for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Cato has added 107 jobs, to 228 in 2023. Cato’s average trip to work is 23 minutes, below both New York’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes).
| Cato | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Cato has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 17° and about 79 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 31 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cato.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Cato beats the New York average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 16% of Cato adults smoke cigarettes.
| Cato | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Cato | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.8% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.3 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cato. Close and well known come first.
21 mi Stadium & arenaJMA Wireless Dome
37 mi LakeSeneca Lake
31 mi LakeCayuga Lake
17 mi LakeOnondaga Lake
36 mi MountainCumorah
40 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State ParkJMA Wireless Dome: Jimhoward03, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Onondaga Lake: R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cato
About 5 of every 100 Cato residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Town in New York, United States
Cato is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. According to the 2020 census, the town had a population of 2,445. The town is named after Cato the Elder, a Roman statesman. The name was assigned by the surveyors of the Military Tract, and is one of many towns and villages bearing a classical name. The town of Cato contains part of a village also named Cato, as well as the entire village of Meridian. Cato is northwest of Syracuse.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Cato.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cato | — | — | B− | — | B | B− |
| Brutus | #415 | B− | C+ | — | B | B− |
| Lysander | #304 | B | C | — | B+ | B+ |
| Conquest | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C− |
| Ira | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Elbridge | #196 | A− | A− | — | B− | B |
Cato, Conquest and Ira have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Cato, Brutus, Lysander, Conquest, Ira and Elbridge report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cato with a neighbor →
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 B−.
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