Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Herkimer gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $136K for a typical one, or 2 years of the Utica metro’s $70K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 508th of 745 graded towns in New York. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $56K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 82% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 9 places on the National Register. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Herkimer, above both the New York town median (9.5%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Its National Register listings include Herkimer County Courthouse and Herkimer County Jail.
Where Herkimer beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,525 in 1790, 9,566 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 3 maps from 1900 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Herkimer is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Herkimer, 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 Herkimer.
Herkimer is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Utica and other neighbors.
Its public schools are run by the Herkimer Central School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Herkimer High School, with 537 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herkimer Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 533 | C+ |
| Herkimer High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 537 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Herkimer has cold winters and pleasant summers. Herkimer’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Herkimer has about as many jobs (4,411) as working residents, but only 765 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 21.6 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
About one in 5 of Herkimer’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Herkimer is 22 minutes. Since 2013, Herkimer has lost 344 jobs, to 4,411 in 2023.
| Herkimer | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 7,816 U.S. towns with household incomes like Herkimer’s, it is healthier than 73%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Herkimer beats the New York average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 29% of adults get no exercise outside work in Herkimer.
| Herkimer | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 25% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Herkimer | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Herkimer.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Steuben Hill State Forest, at 454 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Steuben Hill State Forest | — | 454 |
| 2. Myers Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Herkimer. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi MuseumNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum315K visitors a yearin town LandmarkFort Dayton
25 mi National MonumentFort Stanwix National Monument78K visitors a year
12 mi Stadium & arenaUtica Memorial Auditorium40 mi CaveHowe Caverns
12 mi MuseumMunson-Williams-Proctor Arts InstituteNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Stanwix National Monument: NPS photo, Public domain · Utica Memorial Auditorium: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
5 within 15 miles of the center of Herkimer
About 7 of every 100 Herkimer residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
9 places in Herkimer on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Herkimer.
Town in New York, United States
Herkimer is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States, southeast of Utica. It is named after Nicholas Herkimer. The population was 9,566 at the 2020 census, down from 10,175 in 2010. The town contains a village also called Herkimer. Herkimer County Community College is located in Herkimer village.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
9 towns share a border with Herkimer.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C+; Ilion (C+) is closest.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herkimer | #508 | C+ | B | — | C+ | C+ |
| German Flatts | #346 | B | A− | — | C | B |
| Fairfield | — | — | B | — | B− | C |
| Little Falls | — | — | A− | — | C | C |
| Ilion | #463 | C+ | A− | C | C | B− |
| Herkimer | #698 | D | B− | D− | C | C+ |
| Frankfort | #407 | B− | B− | B+ | C | B |
| Schuyler | #411 | B− | B | — | B+ | B− |
Fairfield and Little Falls have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Herkimer, German Flatts, Fairfield, Little Falls and Schuyler report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Herkimer with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Herkimer grades C+ overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #508 of 745 in New York. It grades C+ for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
8 notable people were born here, including Chick Vennera and Lou Ambers.
