Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hornell gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $116K, 1.8 years of the Corning area’s $66K median household income. It grades C− overall, 610th of 745 graded towns in New York. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $47K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line, and its schools rank behind 82% of the state's. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 90% of U.S. towns, with 7 places on the National Register. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Hornell, where New York’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 2 of the 265 New York towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Hornell.
Where Hornell beats most towns.
Census counts: 4,552 in 1870, a peak of 16,250 in 1930, 8,263 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 3 maps from 1915 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Hornell is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 92% of comparable towns) to D− for jobs and income (better than 5%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hornell, 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 Hornell.
Hornell is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has household incomes well below the New York norm.
At 1.8 years of the Corning area’s $66K median household income, the typical home (about $116K) costs less against local pay than in 94% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. The typical value, about $116K, is 7% below its August 2024 peak.
49% of Hornell households own their home. The typical Hornell home is worth about $116,000, down 1.7% in a year, 78% below the New York typical home. The median rent in Hornell is $784 a month.
| Hornell | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $784 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Hornell City School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Hornell Junior-Senior High School, with 650 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hornell Intermediate SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–6 | Grades 1–6 | 487 | C− |
| Hornell Junior-Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 650 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Against the 4,802 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hornell’s, it is healthier than 73%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Hornell beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 19% of adults report frequent mental distress in Hornell.
| Hornell | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Hornell | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 17.4% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 6% |
| More adults with depression | 23.6% | 17.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Hornell has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 15° and about 62 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 3,012 working residents takes 16.8 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
About one in 3 of Hornell’s working residents works in town. Hornell’s average trip to work is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Hornell has lost 548 jobs, to 3,439 in 2023.
| Hornell | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hornell.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Hornell | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 19 |
| 2. Michael C. Fucci Memorial Park | — | 13 |
| 3. Union Square Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hornell
About 4 of every 100 Hornell residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
7 places in Hornell on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Hornell.
City in New York, United States
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 8,259 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. The City of Hornell is surrounded by the Town of Hornellsville. Hornell is about 55 miles (89 km) south of Rochester and is near the western edge of Steuben County. Hornell is nicknamed the "Maple City" after the large maple trees that once grew throughout the town and covered the surrounding hills of the Canisteo Valley. Hornell residents celebrate with one of the largest Saint Patrick's Day parades and celebrations in the area, bringing many out to welcome spring and show their green.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Hornell.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornell | #610 | C− | B+ | — | C− | C |
| North Hornell | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Hornell reports no FBI crime data of its own. North Hornell isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hornell with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hornell grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #610 of 745 in New York. It grades C for health and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the 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+.
12 notable people were born here, including Bill Pullman and Frank Kelly Freas.
