Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Geneva grades C overall, 567th among New York's 745 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low and it has 11 miles of trail. On the other side, its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 16 places on the National Register. Geneva’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile, where New York’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Only 27 of New York’s 274 towns score lower on safety. Its National Register listings include Smith's Opera House and Parrott Hall.
Where Geneva beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Parrott Hall| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| North Street Elementary School | 3–5 | 498 |
| West Street Elementary School | K–2 | 421 |
| St. Francis de Sales-St. Stephen | PK–8 | 110 |
Census counts: 5,521 in 1870, a peak of 17,286 in 1960, 12,812 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 4 maps from 1902 on.
16 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Geneva is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Geneva, 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 Geneva.
Geneva is shaped by its college students and has commutes shorter than most of New York.
Geneva sits against 5.2% in New York’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns on this measure. The biggest place to walk is Lakefront Park, 51 acres with 1.3 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lakefront Park | 1.3 mi | 51 |
| 2. Ridgewood Park | 0.4 mi | 12 |
| 3. Jefferson Park and Playground | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Geneva City School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Geneva High School, with 602 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Street Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 498 | C− |
| Geneva High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 602 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
The typical Geneva home is worth about $226,000, up 4.4% in a year, 57% below the New York typical home. 52% of households own their home in Geneva.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $972 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Geneva’s violent crime rate is 5 per 1,000 residents.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 25.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Geneva.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
21.8% of residents are enrolled in college, against 7% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
Adults 18 to 34 are 39% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (39% statewide). The median age in Geneva is 32.6 years. Geneva has lost 2.1% of its people since 2020, down to 12,552 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.6 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 16% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 32% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.8 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Geneva | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.3% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 25.3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.9% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.7% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.7% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.4% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.6% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Geneva beats the New York average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 37% of Geneva adults feel lonely.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 34% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Geneva | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.6% | 11.5% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31.5% | 37.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.8% | 12.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Geneva has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 17° and about 57 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 4,962 working residents takes 17.2 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
About one in 3 of Geneva’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Rochester (6%), Geneva (5%) and Waterloo (3%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 9% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Geneva. Close and well known come first.
15 mi LakeSeneca Lake
19 mi LakeCayuga Lake
15 mi MountainCumorah
34 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
29 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Parkin town GardenNew York State Agricultural Experiment StationSeneca 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 · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Geneva
College town 22 of every 100 Geneva residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
2 colleges in town.
16 places in Geneva on the National Register of Historic Places.
37 notable people were born in Geneva.
City in New York, United States
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake; all land portions of the city are within Ontario County; the water portions are in Seneca County. The population was 12,812 at the 2020 census. The city is supposedly named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. The main settlement of the Seneca was spelled Zoneshio by early European settlers, and was described as being two miles north of Seneca Lake. The city borders the town of Geneva and was once a part of it. The city identifies as the "Lake Trout Capital of the World."
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Geneva.
Geneva reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Geneva with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Geneva grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #567 of 745 in New York. It grades B+ for health, C− for safety and D for schools. Schools 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−.
37 notable people were born here, including Travie McCoy and Robert L. Forward.
