Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Fredonia grades C overall, ranked 521st of 745 in New York, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 82% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the median household income is $50K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 1 place on the National Register. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Fredonia, against 9.5% in New York’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Fredonia is home to SUNY at Fredonia.
Where Fredonia beats most towns.
Census counts: 2,546 in 1870, 9,585 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1867 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Fredonia is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fredonia, 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 Fredonia.
Fredonia is shaped by its college students, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Pomfret and other neighbors.
The typical Fredonia home is worth about $217,000, up 4.6% in a year, 59% below the New York typical home. 54% of Fredonia households own their home.
| Fredonia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $878 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
28.6% of residents are enrolled in college, against 7% statewide, which pulls the median age down. The median household earns $50,433, against $85,974 across New York, one input to its D for jobs and income.
Adults 18 to 34 are 38% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 28% of residents (39% statewide). 14% of residents are under 18 in Fredonia. Fredonia has lost 4.1% of its people since 2020, down to 9,283 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Fredonia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.4 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 14% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 32% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.5 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Fredonia | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.8% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 31% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.2% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.6% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.5% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.9% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.4% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.8% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.5% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 23.5% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
1.5 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Russell Joy Park, at 26 acres.
| Fredonia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fredonia State Courtyard Park | 0.4 mi | 3 |
| 2. Russell Joy Park | — | 26 |
| 3. Lambert Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
78 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 11 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 78 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fredonia.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Fredonia has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Fredonia’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 5,939 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fredonia’s, it is healthier than 94%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Fredonia beats the New York average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Fredonia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 34% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.8% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Fredonia | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.8% | 11.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.2% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Fredonia has about as many jobs (2,859) as working residents, but only 507 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 3,768 in 2013 to 2,859.
Most working residents leave Fredonia for work: only 18% work in town. The average trip to work in Fredonia is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Fredonia has lost 909 jobs, to 2,859 in 2023.
| Fredonia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Fredonia's reported crime rate is close to New York's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2023.
| Fredonia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 20 per 1,000 residents | 10.1 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 1.8 |
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fredonia
College town 29 of every 100 Fredonia residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
14 notable people were born in Fredonia.
Village in New York, United States
Fredonia (Seneca: Ganë́'daweö) is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 9,871 as of the 2020 census. Fredonia is in the town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie. The village is the home of the State University of New York at Fredonia (in the northwest part of the village). Fredonia is one of only twelve villages in New York still incorporated under a charter, the other villages having incorporated or re-incorporated under the provisions of Village Law.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Fredonia.
Fredonia and Pomfret report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fredonia with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fredonia grades C overall, better than 33% of U.S. towns and #521 of 745 in New York. It grades B for health and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($58,351 across the Jamestown-Dunkirk, NY area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
14 notable people were born here, including Jean Webster and Jennifer Suhr.