Elmira Heights Village Hall, 2008
Elmira Heights’s story
Elmira Heights in pictures
Census counts: 1,763 in 1900, 3,916 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 3 maps from 1895 on.
Explore the history →
Photo: Lvklock · Public domain
Population
3,716
2025 Census estimate · −5.7% since 2020
Typical home
$125K
+5.3% in a year
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
42.1
years
Jobs based here
1,141
Balanced
TownGrade
C−
#655 of 745 in NY
Is Elmira Heights a good place to live?
Elmira Heights earns a C−, ranked 655th of 745 in New York, mostly because of schools and incomes. Its schools rank behind 84% of the state's. The median household income is $58K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Elmira Heights, above both the New York town median (9.5%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On civic life, just 87 of New York’s 1,187 towns do worse.
What makes Elmira Heights stand out
Where Elmira Heights beats most towns.
How Elmira Heights grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Elmira Heights is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA+Open →SchoolsC−Open →Jobs & incomeC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 11.7% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →HealthArnot Ogden Medical Center 1.9 miles awayC+Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 7% conserved landA−Open →History2 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life2.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
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 42.1; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Elmira Heights: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elmira Heights, and how to reach them.
PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterElmira Water BoardNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressPay per bag · day by addressTown site
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 hereChemung County Board of ElectionsChemung County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code1490314903 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 Elmira Heights.
Elmira Heights is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has homes that are cheap against local pay and has commutes shorter than most of New York.
HousingCost of living grade B−
A typical Elmira Heights home is worth about $125K
At 2 years of the Elmira metro’s $64K median household income, the typical home (about $125K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living.
The typical Elmira Heights home is worth about $125,000, up 5.3% in a year, 76% below the New York typical home. 52% of Elmira Heights households own their home.
$125KZillow home value
| Elmira Heights | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $851 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Elmira Heights$125K
New York$525K
+5.3%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
The FEMA risk score in Elmira Heights is lower than in the typical New York or U.S. town
The FEMA risk score in Elmira Heights is 2 of 100. Since 1981, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elmira Heights.
2risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
10
paid flood claims since 1981
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Elmira Heights
Elmira Heights has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–36°
Spring34–58°
Summer56–81°
Fall40–61°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Elmira Heights’ workers commute out: the town has 0.8 jobs for each of them
The average commute for its 1,439 working residents takes 21.6 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Elmira Heights for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Elmira Heights has lost 268 jobs, to 1,141 in 2023. Elmira Heights’ average trip to work is 22 minutes.
4%work in town
| Elmira Heights | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Elmira Heights4%
Elmira24%
Horseheads20%
Big Flats7%
Corning6%
4 mi
median commute distance
1,141
jobs based in Elmira Heights
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 39% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Elmira Heights
Elmira Heights's reported crime rate is well below New York's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 7 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Elmira Heights | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 7.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Elmira Heights1.9
New York3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Elmira Heights4.8
New York15.7
U.S.15.5
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
18
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthC+
Elmira Heights is less healthy than 58% of U.S. towns
Against the 8,381 U.S. towns with household incomes like Elmira Heights’s, it is healthier than 68%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Elmira Heights beats the New York average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 17% of adults smoke cigarettes in Elmira Heights.
42%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Elmira Heights | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 25% |
32 measures vs. New York
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Elmira Heights | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| More smokers | 16.8% | 11.3% |
Arnot Ogden Medical Center
1.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
18th
percentile among NY towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
6.7%conserved
| Elmira Heights | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.7% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
6.7%
conserved · 49 of 729 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. McCann's Memorial Park | — | 11 |
| 2. Oakridge Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 31 attractions →Seneca Lake and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elmira Heights. Close and well known come first.
37 mi LakeSeneca Lake
12 mi MuseumCorning Museum of Glass400K visitors a year
18 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
39 mi LakeCayuga Lake
31 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
28 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf FieldSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Corning Museum of Glass: User:Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elmira Heights
20pages on Elmira Heights
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 84% of NY districtsSafety1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than NY on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$125K typical home · up 5.3% in a yearWork & commuteC−$58K median household income · 1,141 jobs hereNatural hazardsA+FEMA risk higher than 2% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Elmira Heights
Arnot Ogden Medical CenterCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Elmira1.8 miElmira CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elmira2.2 mi$38,976 tuitionSUNY Corning Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Corning12.7 mi$6,534 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Elmira Heights residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
About Elmira Heights
Village in New York, United States
Elmira Heights is a village in Chemung County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, Elmira Heights had a population of 3,916. The village is primarily within the town of Horseheads, but part of the village is in the town of Elmira. The village is a northern suburb of the city of Elmira. It is part of the Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 879 ft
Questions about Elmira Heights
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elmira Heights, NY a good place to live?
Elmira Heights grades C− overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #655 of 745 in New York. It grades C+ for health and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Elmira Heights, NY expensive?
That is 2 years of the area's median household income ($63,716 across the Elmira, NY metro 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−.