Lake Cuba, 1908
Cuba’s story
204 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,059 in 1830, 3,154 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 5 maps from 1898 on.
- 1822Cuba is settled
CubaNY
Population
1,490
2025 Census estimate · −3.2% since 2020
Typical home
$157K
+6.9% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
34.8
years
Jobs based here
811
Balanced
Is Cuba a good place to live?
Cuba’s best subject grades are an A for walkability and an A+ for history; its weakest is a C− for incomes. Cuba’s average trip to work is 19 minutes, below both New York’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Cuba's schools outperform 74% of the state's. On history, just 99 of New York’s 1,216 towns do better. Cuba has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Cuba stand out
Where Cuba beats most towns.
0historic places
HistoryA+
Settled in 1822
A long history
A history going back 204 years.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 90% of U.S. towns
11.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Typical home value
Cuba$157K
New York$525K
Cost of livingB+
2.5 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 73% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Small town
1,490 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Cuba grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Cuba is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.4 of 20; 8.9% of households have no carAOpen →Jobs & income$62K median household income; 811 jobs based hereC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsB+Open →Cost of livingB+Open →HealthOlean General Hospital 11.8 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landB−Open →History8 notable people born hereA+Open →Civic life3.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.8; 26% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cuba: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cuba, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid19.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCuba Village Public Water2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cuba’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAllegany County Board of ElectionsAllegany County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2021
ZIP code1472714727 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cuba.
HousingCost of living grade B+
Homes in Cuba are worth about $157K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Cuba home is worth about $157,000, up 6.9% in a year, 70% below the New York typical home. Cuba’s median rent is $770 a month, where New York’s towns sit at $1,101 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. 60% of households own their home in Cuba.
$157KZillow home value
| Cuba | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 60% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $770 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Cuba$157K
New York$525K
+6.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Cuba faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cuba.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
2
paid flood claims since 2003
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Cuba has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Cuba has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Cuba’s July high is 80°F.
103″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–34°
Spring32–57°
Summer54–79°
Fall38–60°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 14
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Cuba has 1.3 jobs for every working resident, and 740 people commute in
Most working residents leave Cuba for work: only 12% work in town. 14% of Cuba residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Cuba (22%), Olean (13%) and Friendship (6%).
12%work in town
| Cuba | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Cuba12%
Cuba22%
Olean13%
Friendship6%
Wellsville6%
13 mi
median commute distance
811
jobs based in Cuba
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB−
Health in Cuba trails 51% of U.S. towns
Cuba beats the New York average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
49%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Cuba | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New York
2 better23 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Cuba | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults lacking emotional support | 22.5% | 26.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.3% | 6% |
Olean General Hospital
11.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsB−
Cuba has set aside 0.5% of its land for conservation
0.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0.5%conserved
| Cuba | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
0.5%
conserved · 4 of 775 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Willow Bank Park | 0.2 mi | 5 |
| 2. Chamberlain Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cuba
19pages on Cuba
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cuba
About 5 of every 100 Cuba residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Famous people from Cuba
8 notable people were born in Cuba.
About Cuba
Town in New York, United States
Cuba is a town on the western border of Allegany County, New York, United States. The village of Cuba lies within its borders. The federally recognized tribe of Seneca Native Americans has a reservation on the western town line. As of the 2020 Census, the total population was 3,154.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1822
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Area code
- 585
Questions about Cuba
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cuba, NY expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
What is Cuba, NY known for?
8 notable people were born here, including Charles Ingalls and Cora L. V. Scott.