Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Galen grades D overall, 676th among New York's 745 graded towns, mostly because of schools and incomes. Its public schools trail 92% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. The median household income is $64K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: homes are within reach, about $95K for a typical one, or 1.3 years of the Rochester metro’s $76K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. Only 70 of New York’s 1,213 towns score lower on health. The biggest park or preserve is Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, at 5,003 acres. 28% of residents are under 18 in Galen, above both the New York town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%).
Where Galen beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
US Post Office-Clyde| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Clyde-Savannah Elementary School | PK–6 | 367 |
| Clyde Mennonite Parochial School | K–8 | 31 |
| Clyde-Savannah Junior High School | 7–9 | 180 |
Where Galen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Galen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,979 in 1820, 4,290 in 2010. The archive holds 4 maps from 1902 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Galen, 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 Galen.
Galen has homes that are cheap against local pay and has commutes shorter than most of New York.
Its public schools are run by the Clyde-Savannah Central School District. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clyde-Savannah Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 367 | D− |
| Clyde-Savannah Junior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–9 | Grades 7–9 | 180 | D− |
| Clyde-Savannah High SchoolTop results in townGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | 146 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Galen beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Galen.
| Galen | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 25% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Galen | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 6% |
| More smokers | 18% | 11.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.3% | 12.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 1,765 working residents takes 22.1 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Galen for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Galen fell to 750 in 2023, 185 fewer than in 2013. The average trip to work in Galen is 22 minutes.
| Galen | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
12 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
| Galen | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Black Brook County Park | 0.9 mi | 87 |
| 2. Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge | — | 5,003 |
| 3. Galen Wildlife Management Area | — | 751 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Galen has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Galen’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Galen.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 1.3 years of the Rochester metro’s $76K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 99% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $2,693, against $6,582 across New York, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
80% of Galen households own their home.
| Galen | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $864 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Galen. Close and well known come first.
38 mi Stadium & arenaJMA Wireless Dome
28 mi LakeSeneca Lake
28 mi LakeCayuga Lake
18 mi MountainCumorah
34 mi LakeOnondaga Lake
36 mi MuseumGeorge Eastman MuseumJMA Wireless Dome: Jimhoward03, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Onondaga Lake: R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · George Eastman Museum: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Galen
About 3 of every 100 Galen residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
3 places in Galen on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Galen is a town in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 4,290 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the classical physician Galen. The Town of Galen is on the south border of the county and west of Syracuse, New York. The primary postal district covering the Town of Galen is ZIP Code 14433 for Clyde.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Galen.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galen | #676 | D | A− | — | D | C− |
| Savannah | — | — | A− | — | D | C− |
| Lyons | #555 | C | A− | — | D | C+ |
| Rose | — | — | B+ | — | C | C− |
| Junius | — | — | B− | — | D | C+ |
| Tyre | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Butler | — | — | A | — | C | C− |
Savannah, Rose, Junius and Butler have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Galen, Savannah, Lyons, Rose, Junius and Butler report no FBI crime data of their own. Tyre isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Galen with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Galen grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #676 of 745 in New York. It grades C− for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $95,000, 82% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
.jpg){kind=link}
