Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Easy on the wallet, harder on other counts. The weak point is schools — its public schools trail 92% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. At C overall, Lyons ranks 555th of 745 in New York. That leaves it better than 30% of U.S. towns. It lags on incomes as well (C): the median household income is $75K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. Where it does best is cost of living (A−): a typical home costs about $179K, 2.3 years of the Rochester metro’s $76K median household income. Add walkability to its strengths: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 7 places on the National Register.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results.
Where Lyons beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Broad Street-Water Street Historic District| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Lyons Elementary School | PK–6 | 519 |
| Lyons Middle School | 7–8 | 132 |
| Lyons Senior High School | 9–12 | 266 |
Census counts: 3,972 in 1820, a peak of 6,315 in 1990, 3,989 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1902 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 Lyons is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lyons, 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 Lyons.
Lyons gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of New York (mostly inland flooding).
At 2.3 years of the Rochester metro’s $76K median household income, the typical home (about $179K) costs less against local pay than in 81% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. Home values rose 47% in five years, to about $179K, against 30% across New York.
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 5.8% in value. In Lyons, the median rent is $920 a month, where New York’s towns sit at $1,103 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
| Lyons | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $920 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Lyons Central School District. Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. 3 public schools serve Lyons, with 917 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 519 | C− |
| Lyons Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 266 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of New York towns, with expected losses of about $351 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Federal aid has come to Lyons households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2004. In Lyons, the risk rating from FEMA is 79 of 100, above both New York’s towns (31 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). FEMA puts 92% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Sodus 1w weather station, 11 miles away, records that 105 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Lyons’ peak summer temperature comes in at 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of adults in Lyons who get no exercise outside work: 29%. 16% of adults in Lyons report frequent physical distress; 40% sleep under 7 hours.
| Lyons | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Lyons | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 6% |
| More smokers | 15.7% | 11.3% |
| More adults with obesity | 38.7% | 28.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest park or preserve is Lyons Park, at 100 acres. Walkers can cover 5.3 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The density of trails for Lyons comes to 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Lyons | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lyons Park | 0.4 mi | 100 |
| 2. Lyons Central Park | 0.3 mi | 1 |
| 3. H.G. Hotchkiss Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lyons has about as many jobs (2,239) as working residents, but only 337 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 20.7 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Among working residents in Lyons, 15% work locally. Since 2013, Lyons has lost 403 jobs, to 2,239 in 2023. Lyons’ mean commuting time is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Arcadia (15%), Rochester (6%) and Geneva (4%).
| Lyons | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lyons. Close and well known come first.
31 mi LakeSeneca Lake
13 mi MountainCumorah
32 mi LakeCayuga Lake
29 mi MuseumGeorge Eastman Museum
31 mi Stadium & arenaBlue Cross Arena
30 mi MuseumThe National Museum of PlaySeneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · George Eastman Museum: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Blue Cross Arena: Matthew D. Wilson (LtPowers), CC BY-SA 3.0 · The National Museum of Play: Misc, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Lyons; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Lyons residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
7 places in Lyons on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Lyons.
Town in New York, United States
Lyons is a town in and the county seat of Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 5,682 at the 2010 census. It is named after Lyon, France. The Town of Lyons is in the south-central part of the county and contains a hamlet also named Lyons, formerly a village. It is located on the Erie Canal.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Lyons.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons | #555 | C | A− | — | D | C+ |
| Arcadia | #591 | C− | B− | — | C− | C |
| Rose | — | — | B+ | — | C | C− |
| Galen | #676 | D | A− | — | D | C− |
| Sodus | #481 | C+ | B+ | — | C+ | C |
| Phelps | #435 | B− | B | — | C− | B |
Rose has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lyons, Arcadia, Rose, Galen, Sodus and Phelps report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lyons with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lyons grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #555 of 745 in New York. It grades C+ for health and D for schools. Schools 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 A−.
13 notable people were born here, including Myron Charles Taylor and Arthur T. Hannett.
