Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Gowanda’s best subject grades are an A for walkability and history and an A− for the outdoors; its weakest is a C− for health. Only 36 of New York’s 1,213 towns score lower on health. 11% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Gowanda, where New York’s towns sit at 32% and U.S. towns at 29%. Gowanda’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile, above both New York’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest place to walk is Gateway Park, 28 acres with 1 miles of trail. Gowanda has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Gowanda beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Gowanda is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 994 in 1870, a peak of 3,352 in 1960, 2,513 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1809 and 4 maps from 1923 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gowanda, 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 Gowanda.
The typical Gowanda home is worth about $165,000, up 7.4% in a year, 69% below the New York typical home. The median rent in Gowanda is $753 a month.
| Gowanda | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $753 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Gowanda. Gowanda beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 24% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Gowanda.
| Gowanda | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Gowanda | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 6% |
| More smokers | 18.9% | 11.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.8% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Gowanda has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 17° and about 208 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Gowanda for work: only 17% work in town. Gowanda’s median household income is $52,000. Jobs based in Gowanda fell to 953 in 2023, 695 fewer than in 2013.
| Gowanda | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 118 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gowanda.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.5 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gateway Park | 1 mi | 28 |
| 2. Creekside Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
| 3. Saint John Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gowanda. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaHighmark Stadium
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaRalph Wilson Stadium
19 mi WaterfallEternal Flame Falls
29 mi Stadium & arenaKeyBank Center
29 mi MuseumUSS The Sullivans
29 mi Stadium & arenaSahlen FieldHighmark Stadium: James161723, CC0 · Ralph Wilson Stadium: User Evilarry on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Eternal Flame Falls: Mpmajewski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · KeyBank Center: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS The Sullivans: Unknown, Public domain · Sahlen Field: Quintinsoloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Gowanda; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Gowanda residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
4 notable people were born in Gowanda.
Village in New York, United States
Gowanda (Seneca: Dzogöwödih) is a village in western New York, United States. It lies partly in Erie County and partly in Cattaraugus County. The population was 2,513 at the 2020 census. The name is derived from a local Seneca language term meaning "almost surrounded by hills" or "a valley among the hills". The Erie County portion of Gowanda is part of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area, while the Cattaraugus County portion is part of the Olean micropolitan statistical area. The village is partly in the Town of Collins in Erie County and partly in the Town of Persia in Cattaraugus County. Bordering Gowanda is the Cattaraugus Reservation, which has a majority population of Seneca. N…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Gowanda.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gowanda | — | — | B | B+ | C+ | C− |
| Persia | — | — | A− | — | C+ | C− |
| Collins | #448 | C+ | A− | — | B− | C |
| Perrysburg | — | — | C+ | — | C+ | C |
Gowanda, Persia and Perrysburg have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Persia, Collins and Perrysburg report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Gowanda with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 2.8 years of the area's median household income ($59,540 across the Olean, 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 B.
4 notable people were born here, including Mick Sweda and Albertus W. Catlin.
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