Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Geneva grades C overall, ranked 561st of 745 in New York, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, its public schools trail 92% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Only 31 of New York’s 1,187 towns score lower on civic life. Geneva’s median age is 53 years, above both New York’s towns (42.9 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years).
Where Geneva beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Geneva | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72.1% | 66.8% |
Travie McCoyEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Geneva is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 5,521 in 1870, a peak of 17,286 in 1960, 12,812 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
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.
Trails run 9.5 miles in 1 park or preserve. Kashong Conservation Area, at 85 acres with 4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. In Geneva, the trail density is 0.5 miles per square mile.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kashong Conservation Area | 4 mi | 85 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
39% of Geneva adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. People 65 and older are 31% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (23% statewide). Population is up 2.4% in the town since 2020, to 3,564 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 32% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.4 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 65% are men (NY 49%).
| Geneva | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.1% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.8% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.3% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.7% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.8% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.7% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.1% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.5% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.2% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 20.7% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,600, single groups can be off by several points
FEMA puts just over four fifths of Geneva’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding. Compared with just over three quarters of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1993: 16.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The share of adults in Geneva who binge drink: 17%. Of 32 CDC measures, Geneva beats the New York average on 1 and trails it on 4. Among adults in the town, 32% have high blood pressure and 39% sleep under 7 hours.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Geneva | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72.1% | 66.8% |
| More adults with depression | 21.2% | 17.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Geneva has about as many jobs (1,681) as working residents, but only 132 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 17.8 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
The top destinations are Geneva (28%), Rochester (6%) and Waterloo (3%). Just nearly a tenth of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The town’s average commute stands at 18 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 12 miles away.
| Geneva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Geneva. Close and well known come first.
14 mi LakeSeneca Lake
18 mi LakeCayuga Lake
16 mi MountainCumorah
32 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
29 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
37 mi MuseumGeorge Eastman MuseumSeneca 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 · George Eastman Museum: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 4.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Geneva
About 4 of every 100 Geneva residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
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)
6 towns share a border with Geneva.
Benton next door grades higher for schools (B− to Geneva’s D) and lower for cost of living (C to B).
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva | #561 | C | B | — | D | B+ |
| Fayette | #625 | C− | C | — | C− | B− |
| Varick | — | — | C− | — | C | C |
| Geneva | #567 | C | B− | C− | D | B+ |
| Seneca | #484 | C+ | C+ | — | C− | B+ |
| Phelps | #435 | B− | B | — | C− | B |
| Benton | #565 | C | C | — | B− | B− |
Varick has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Geneva, Fayette, Varick, Seneca, Phelps and Benton report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Geneva with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Geneva grades C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #561 of 745 in New York. It grades B+ for health 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.
