Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
It counts 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
A tough set of grades. Overall, Gouverneur earns a D−, better than 3% of U.S. towns. It ranks 730th of 745 in New York. Incomes are its weak spot (D−): the median household income is $44K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. At about $129K, a typical home costs 2.1 years of the Massena area’s $63K median household income. Its strongest subject is walkability: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 64% of U.S. towns. Health is weaker too (D): CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 86% of the country. The biggest place to walk is Beaver Creek State Forest, 2,464 acres with 2.3 miles of trail.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · health, CDC PLACES · OpenStreetMap.
Where Gouverneur beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Gouverneur is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 765 in 1820, 6,551 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 4 maps from 1915 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gouverneur, 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 Gouverneur.
Gouverneur gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has household incomes well below the New York norm.
Against the 3,795 U.S. towns with household incomes like Gouverneur’s, it is less healthy than 53%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
The share of adults in Gouverneur who get no exercise outside work: 32%. Among adults in the town, 39% have high blood pressure, above both New York’s towns (34%) and U.S. towns (35%).
| Gouverneur | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 33% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 25% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Gouverneur | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10% | 6% |
| More smokers | 18.8% | 11.3% |
| More adults with obesity | 45.4% | 28.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Gouverneur Central School District runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Gouverneur High School, with 450 students. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gouverneur Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 511 | D |
| Gouverneur High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 450 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
The Gouverneur 3 Nw weather station records that 92 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
In Gouverneur, the midsummer high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,757 working residents takes 23.5 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
The top destinations are Canton (7%), Fowler (6%) and Potsdam (4%). In Gouverneur, about one in three working residents works in town. Half the trips to work are shorter than 23 miles.
| Gouverneur | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 32% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 1998, Gouverneur has seen 2 flood insurance claims paid out. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
7.3 miles of trail wind through 3 parks and preserves. Gouverneur’s trail network density comes in at 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Gouverneur | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.1% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Beaver Creek State Forest | 2.3 mi | 2,464 |
| 2. Gouverneur Forest Preserve Detached Parcel | — | 14 |
| 3. Gouveneur Village Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Gouverneur; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Gouverneur residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
2 places in Gouverneur on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Gouverneur.
Town in New York, United States
Gouverneur ( guh-vər-NOR) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,551. That was down from 7,085 in 2010. The town is named after statesman and landowner Gouverneur Morris. The Town of Gouverneur contains a village named Gouverneur. The town is near the southwestern border of St. Lawrence County and is southwest of Canton, the county seat.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Gouverneur.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gouverneur | #730 | D− | C+ | — | C− | D |
| Macomb | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rossie | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| De Kalb | — | — | A− | — | C− | C− |
| Fowler | — | — | A− | — | C− | D |
| Hermon | — | — | A− | — | C− | C− |
| Hailesboro | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| De Peyster | — | — | A− | — | B− | C |
De Kalb, Fowler, Hermon and De Peyster have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Gouverneur, De Kalb, Fowler, Hermon and De Peyster report no FBI crime data of their own. Macomb, Rossie and Hailesboro aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Gouverneur with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Gouverneur grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #730 of 745 in New York. It grades D for health and C− for schools. Jobs & income 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 C+.
6 notable people were born here, including Edward John Noble and Brian Leonard.
