Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Clarkson's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades B+, ranked 254th of 745 in New York. The median household earns $83K. Clarkson has 1 place on the National Register. The biggest park or preserve is Kimball Park, at 30 acres. Clarkson's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 83% of U.S. towns.
Where Clarkson beats most towns.
Where Clarkson’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 Clarkson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,612 in 1820, a low of 1,403 in 1920, 6,904 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 4 maps from 1899 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clarkson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi LakeLake Ontario32 mi Theme parkSix Flags Darien Lake1.5M visitors a year
19 mi MuseumGeorge Eastman Museum
17 mi Stadium & arenaBlue Cross Arena
18 mi MuseumThe National Museum of Play
40 mi MountainCumorahLake Ontario: NASA, Public domain · George 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
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clarkson, 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 Clarkson.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clarkson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Clarkson has 960 jobs for its 3,203 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 1,351 in 2013 to 960.
Most working residents leave Clarkson for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Clarkson has lost 391 jobs, to 960 in 2023. At 28 minutes, Clarkson’s average trip to work is against 25 minutes in New York’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
| Clarkson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.8% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Clarkson beats the New York average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 19% of adults binge drink in Clarkson, where New York’s towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 16%. 30% of adults have high blood pressure in Clarkson.
| Clarkson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Clarkson | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.9% | 17.2% |
| More adults with depression | 24.5% | 17.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Clarkson has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Clarkson is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Clarkson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kimball Park | — | 30 |
| 2. Hafner Park | 0.2 mi | 22 |
| 3. Sans Souci Canal Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
67% of Clarkson households own their home.
| Clarkson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,084 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
4 within 15 miles of the center of Clarkson
About 4 of every 100 Clarkson residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Town in Monroe County, New York, United States
Clarkson is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States, on the western border of the county and west of the city of Rochester. The population was 6,904 at the 2020 census. The town is named after General Matthew Clarkson.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Clarkson.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Clarkson grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #254 of 745 in New York. It grades B+ for health and C+ for schools.
The typical home is worth about $207,000, 61% 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 C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Lewis A. Swift and George B. Selden.
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