Octagonal Schoolhouse · National Register of Historic Places
Essex’s story
225 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1875.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1801Essex is settled
EssexNY
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Robert Justin Close · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
599
2025 Census estimate · −2.9% since 2020
Median home value
$278K
Census ACS
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
53.5
years
Jobs based here
116
A commuter town
Is Essex a good place to live?
Essex’s median age is 53.5 years, where New York’s towns sit at 43 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Its National Register listings include Octagonal Schoolhouse and Church of the Nazarene. Essex has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Essex stand out
Where Essex beats most towns.
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Essex: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Essex, and how to reach them.
PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEssex WD water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Essex’s trash rules yet
SchoolsWillsboro Central School DistrictBoquet Valley Central School District at Elizabethtown-Lewis-Westport2 districts serve Essex; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereEssex County Board of ElectionsEssex County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2023
ZIP codes12936, 1299312936 94% · 12993 6%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 Essex.
Work & commute
Most of Essex’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Essex for work: only 7% work in town. 19% of Essex residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Essex has lost 22 jobs, to 116 in 2023.
7%work in town
| Essex | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 15% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.5% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Essex7%
Elizabethtown19%
Willsboro6%
Plattsburgh6%
Plattsburgh6%
23 mi
median commute distance
116
jobs based in Essex
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside School at Black Kettle Farm PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 37 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
20.1%conserved
20.1%
conserved · 4,800 of 23,902 acres
31 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eddy | 12.2 mi | 1,386 |
| 2. Twin Valleys Outdoor Education Center | 3.9 mi | 313 |
| 3. Essex Quarry Nature Preserve | 1.2 mi | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than New York overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (39% statewide). 16% of residents are under 18 in Essex. Essex has lost 2.9% of its people since 2020, down to 599 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
53.5median age · NY 39.8
| Essex | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 16% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 32% | 29% |
EssexNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
25%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school27%
Some college22%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate20%
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
About 121 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.5 points). Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Essex | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.3% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.3% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.8% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.6% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 24.5% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.5% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.7% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.5% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.9% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Essex
Essex has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 11° and about 64 inches of snow falls in a winter.
64″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–32°
Spring33–55°
Summer57–79°
Fall40–59°
Oct 14
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Essex is
Essex beats the New York average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Essex | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
32 measures vs. New York
9 better17 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Essex | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.4% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.1% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.3% | 7.7% |
Elizabethtown Community Hospital
11.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Essex
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Essex.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanches
4
paid flood claims since 1979
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 39 attractions →Lake Champlain and 25 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Essex. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi LakeLake Champlain
Big draw31 mi LandmarkFort Ticonderoga
29 mi MountainMount Marcy
34 mi MountainMount Mansfield
26 mi MountainWhiteface Mountain
10 mi MuseumShelburne MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Champlain: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Fort Ticonderoga: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Marcy: Daniel Tripp, Public domain · Mount Mansfield: Original uploader was Calzarette (Joe Calzarette) at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Whiteface Mountain: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shelburne Museum: Storylanding, CC0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Essex
19pages on Essex
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Essex; the nearest are
Champlain CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Burlington, VT15.6 mi$47,850 tuitionUniversity of VermontUniversity or college · Public · Burlington, VT16 mi$19,058 in-state tuitionClinton Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Plattsburgh24.6 mi$6,831 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Essex residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Small town
599 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
WestportCharlotteWillsboroLewisEssex
Landmarks
5 places in Essex on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Essex
4 notable people were born in Essex.
About Essex
Town in New York, United States
Essex is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 621 at the 2020 census. The town is named after locations in England. The town is on the eastern edge of the county. It is 17 miles (27 km) south-southwest of Burlington, Vermont, which is on the opposite shore of Lake Champlain, 32 miles (51 km) south of Plattsburgh, 94 miles (151 km) south of Montreal, Quebec, and 135 miles (217 km) north of Albany. Essex is inside the Adirondack Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1805
- Area
- 38 sq mi
- Elevation
- 266 ft
- ZIP code
- 12936
- Area code
- 518
Questions about Essex
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Essex, NY a good place to live?
Essex has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Essex, NY known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Eugene Skinner and Henry H. Ross.