Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Collins gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $153K, 2.1 years of the Buffalo metro’s $72K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 448th among New York's 745 graded towns. 16% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Collins, against 32% in New York’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area, 544 acres with 5 miles of trail.
Where Collins beats most towns.
6,601 counted in 2010 and 5,894 in 2020; an estimated 4,501 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 23.6% since 2020, after 10.7% in the decade before.
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 Collins is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,120 in 1830, a low of 2,100 in 1870, 5,894 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1866 and 2 maps from 1941 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Collins, 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 Collins.
Collins trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Jobs based here fell from 1,984 in 2013 to 1,277. The average commute for its 1,792 working residents takes 24.2 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Collins for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Collins fell to 1,277 in 2023, 707 fewer than in 2013. The median household income in Collins is $61,000.
| Collins | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Gowanda Central School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gowanda Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 421 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
| Collins | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area | 5 mi | 544 |
| 2. Zoar Valley Unique Area | 2.3 mi | 512 |
| 3. East Otto State Forest | — | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 9,163 U.S. towns with household incomes like Collins’s, it is less healthy than 50%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Collins beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 18% of Collins adults smoke cigarettes.
| Collins | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Collins | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18.3% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Collins.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Perrysburg weather station, 7 miles away, records that 208 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 100% of U.S. towns.
Collins has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Collins’ July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes are within reach (A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles. At 2.1 years of the Buffalo metro’s $72K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 86% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
82% of households own their home in Collins.
| Collins | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $799 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 82% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Collins. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaHighmark Stadium
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaRalph Wilson Stadium
16 mi WaterfallEternal Flame Falls
27 mi Stadium & arenaKeyBank Center
27 mi MuseumUSS The Sullivans
27 mi Stadium & arenaSahlen FieldHighmark Stadium: James161723, CC0 · Ralph Wilson Stadium: User Evilarry on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Eternal Flame Falls: Mpmajewski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · KeyBank Center: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS The Sullivans: Unknown, Public domain · Sahlen Field: Quintinsoloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Collins; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Collins residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Collins’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in New York, United States
Collins is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The town is on the south border of the county and is considered to be one of the "Southtowns" of Erie County. The population at the 2010 census was 6,601.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Collins.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collins | #448 | C+ | A− | — | B− | C |
| Otto | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Persia | — | — | A− | — | C+ | C− |
| Perrysburg | — | — | C+ | — | C+ | C |
| East Otto | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gowanda | — | — | B | B+ | C+ | C− |
| North Collins | #311 | B | B | — | C+ | B− |
| Concord | #301 | B | B− | — | B | B+ |
Persia, Perrysburg and Gowanda have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Collins, Persia, Perrysburg, North Collins and Concord report no FBI crime data of their own. Otto and East Otto aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Collins with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Collins grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #448 of 745 in New York. It grades C for health and B− for schools.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $153,000, 71% 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 A−.
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