Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hancock earns a D, 694th among New York's 745 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $62K, and 13% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 77% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. It also has a long history, with 5 places on the National Register. Only 12 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on hazard risk. The biggest place to walk is Hancock Forest Preserve Detached Parcel, 1,674 acres with 2.4 miles of trail.
Where Hancock beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 525 in 1820, a peak of 5,308 in 1900, 2,764 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 2 maps from 1930 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Hancock is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hancock, 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 Hancock.
Hancock is a second-home town and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of New York (mostly inland flooding).
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of New York towns, with expected losses of about $1,446 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on. 100 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 22 properties have flooded more than once.
Hancock’s FEMA risk score is 85 of 100, against 31 of 100 in New York’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Since 1978, 100 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hancock.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Hancock Central School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 93 | D |
| Hancock Junior-Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 5–12 | Grades 5–12 | 199 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
46 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves.
| Hancock | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hancock Forest Preserve Detached Parcel | 2.4 mi | 1,674 |
| 2. Tomannex State Forest | 2.1 mi | 1,004 |
| 3. Bear Spring Mountain Wildlife Management Area | — | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Hancock has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Hancock’s July high is 81°F, close to New York’s towns (81°F) and below U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 4 of Hancock’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Hancock is 30 minutes. The top destinations are New York (7%), Colchester (4%) and Delhi (4%).
| Hancock | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 28% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 9,469 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hancock’s, it is healthier than 71%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
41% of adults have high blood pressure in Hancock. Hancock beats the New York average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 20% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Hancock.
| Hancock | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Hancock | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.2% | 14.5% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Hancock; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Hancock residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
3,224 counted in 2010 and 2,764 in 2020; an estimated 2,717 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
5 places in Hancock on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Hancock.
Town in New York, United States
Hancock is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The town contains a village, also named Hancock. The town is in the southwest part of the county. The population was 2,764 at the 2020 census. The town is the largest by area in Delaware County. The town borders two other counties, Sullivan County to the south and Pennsylvania's Wayne County to the west. The town is located partially in the Catskill Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Hancock.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock · Hancock | #694 | D | B− | — | C− | B− |
| Colchester | — | — | C+ | A | C− | B− |
| Fremont | — | — | C | — | C+ | B+ |
| Tompkins | — | — | B | — | C− | C |
Colchester, Fremont and Tompkins have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Hancock, Fremont and Tompkins report no FBI crime data of their own. Hancock and Hancock are one community, graded once. Compare Hancock with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hancock grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #694 of 745 in New York. It grades B− for health and C− for schools. Hazard risk 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−.
6 notable people were born here, including Eddie Murphy and David N. Hurd.
