Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Dix is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, ranked 509th of 745 in New York, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: a typical home costs about $165K, 2.4 years of the county’s $68K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $54K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. 25% of working residents work locally in Dix, above both New York’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include US Post Office-Watkins Glen and Schuyler County Courthouse Complex. Dix is more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns.
Where Dix beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,990 in 1840, 3,723 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1874 and 3 maps from 1898 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Dix is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dix, 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 Dix.
Dix draws workers from Hector and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
2,204 jobs are based in Dix, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 20 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
About one in 4 of Dix’s working residents works in town. Dix’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. Since 2013, Dix has lost 183 jobs, to 2,204 in 2023.
| Dix | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Watkins Glen Central School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Watkins Glen Central High School, with 419 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watkins Glen Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 460 | C− |
| Watkins Glen Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 419 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
17 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Watkins Glen State Park, 778 acres with 8.6 miles of trail.
| Dix | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.5% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Watkins Glen State Park | 8.6 mi | 778 |
| 2. Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area | 1.6 mi | 368 |
| 3. Sugar Hill State Forest | 1.6 mi | 362 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dix.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Dix has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Dix is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 7,014 U.S. towns with household incomes like Dix’s, it is healthier than 85%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Dix beats the New York average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 15% of adults report frequent physical distress in Dix.
| Dix | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Dix | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.7% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dix. Close and well known come first.
in town State parkWatkins Glen State Park
22 mi LakeSeneca Lake
26 mi LakeCayuga Lake
15 mi MuseumCorning Museum of Glass400K visitors a year
21 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
23 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf FieldWatkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Corning Museum of Glass: User:Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Schoellkopf Field: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Originally uploaded by en:User:Cornell010, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Dix; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Dix residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Dix’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
10 places in Dix on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Dix is a town in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 3,723 at the 2020 census. The Town of Dix is located on the southern border of the county and is north of Elmira.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Dix.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dix | #509 | C | B | — | C+ | B− |
| Reading | — | — | C+ | — | C+ | B |
| Watkins Glen | — | — | C+ | — | C+ | C+ |
| Montour | — | — | B | — | C+ | B− |
| Hector | #594 | C− | C | — | B− | B+ |
| Orange | — | — | A− | — | C+ | B |
| Catlin | — | — | C | — | B− | B+ |
Reading, Watkins Glen, Montour, Orange and Catlin have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Dix, Reading, Watkins Glen, Montour, Hector, Orange and Catlin report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Dix with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Dix grades C overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #509 of 745 in New York. It grades B− for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
