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New York›Tompkins County

McLeanNY

Is McLean a good place to live?

McLean has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

What makes McLean stand out

Where McLean beats most towns.

Small town

410 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
GrotonDrydenGrotonDrydenMcLean
Groton City. (Village); Groton City Business Directory.; McLean Business Directory.; McLean (Village); Danby Business D…
Groton City. (Village); Groton City Business Directory.; McLean Business Directory.; McLean (Village); Danby Business D…, 1866
McLean’s story

200 years in pictures

The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1866.

  • 1826McLean is settled
Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to McLean: who provides what

McLean is unincorporated, so Tompkins County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCountry Acres MHPNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesTompkins CountyTompkins County provides services here
SchoolsDryden Central School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereTompkins County Board of ElectionsTompkins County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP codes13068, 13102, 1304513068 67% · 13102 18% · 13045 15%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in McLean.

Work & commute

McLean stands out in New York and nationally, with the average trip to work shorter than most

Among 759 New York towns, just one has a lower share of working residents who work in town than McLean. The town had 96 jobs in 2023, up 95 from 2013. Half commute less than 12 miles. The top destinations are Ithaca (20%), Dryden (14%) and Ithaca (12%).

1%work in town
McLeanNew York townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work12 minutes25 minutes25 minutes
Working residents who work in town0.6%10%8%
Below the poverty line8.3%9.5%9.6%

Where working residents work

In McLean1%
Ithaca20%
Dryden14%
Ithaca12%
Lansing12%
12 mi
median commute distance
96
jobs based in McLean
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazards

High risk in McLean, with inland flooding at the top

Of the losses FEMA expects in McLean, 89% come from inland flooding. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 78% of U.S. communities.

78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
78High riskLowerHigher
Inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Who lives here

Young adults are more common in McLean than in New York

In McLean, 43% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Adults 18 to 34 are 35% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 7% of residents (18% statewide).

19.9median age · NY 39.8
McLeanNew YorkUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma0%
High school42%
Some college0%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s30%
Graduate12%

Women and men · all residents

Somewhere between 39% and 72% women

The Census survey reached too few of McLean’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±16.5 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.

Ages and education in McLean
McLeanNYU.S.
Under 1021.2%11%11.6%
10 to 176.3%9.5%10.3%
18 to 2423.2%8.9%9.1%
25 to 3411.5%14.2%13.7%
35 to 4425.9%13%13.2%
45 to 540%12.2%12.2%
55 to 645.1%13.3%12.7%
65 to 743.9%10.3%10.2%
75 and older2.9%7.6%7%
No diploma0%12%10.4%
High school41.6%24.3%26%
Some college0%14.6%19.1%
Associate’s15.8%8.8%8.8%
Bachelor’s30.2%22.4%21.6%
Graduate12.4%17.9%14.1%

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points

Climate

Snowy winters and pleasant summers in McLean

McLean’s July high is 80°F, against 81°F in New York’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.

63″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter17–33°
Spring33–54°
Summer56–78°
Fall40–58°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy McLean is

5.5% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in McLean, where New York’s towns sit at 5.9% and U.S. towns at 8.1%. The town beats the New York average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. The share of adults in McLean who have obesity: 30%.

McLeanNew York townsU.S. towns
Obesity (CDC PLACES)30%33%35%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)18%17%16%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)34%37%36%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)78%81%79%
32 measures vs. New York
7 better22 too close to call3 worse
What stands outMcLeanNY
Fewer uninsured adults5.5%7.9%
Fewer adults facing food insecurity12.3%17.2%
More adults with depression23.1%17.5%
Guthrie Cortland Regional Medical Center
6.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Nearby attractions

JMA Wireless Dome and 30 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around McLean. Close and well known come first.

All 46 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

JMA Wireless Dome: Jimhoward03, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Schoellkopf Field: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Originally uploaded by en:User:Cornell010, CC BY-SA 3.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about McLean

14pages on McLean
After high school

Colleges nearby

4 within 15 miles of the center of McLean

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave McLean for work

Where McLean’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

20% → Ithaca Ithaca 20% 14% → Dryden Dryden 14% 12% → Ithaca Ithaca 12% 12% → Lansing Lansing 12% 6% → Cortlandville Cortlandville 6% 5% → Groton Groton 5% McLean · 1% stay
96jobs based in McLean
1%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About McLean

Hamlet and CDP in New York, United States

McLean is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Tompkins County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, McLean had a population of 378. The community is located in the town of McLean, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) west-southwest of Cortland. McLean has a post office with ZIP code 13102, which opened on June 30, 1826.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
0.2 sq mi
Elevation
1,115 ft
ZIP code
13102

Questions about McLean

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is McLean, NY a good place to live?

McLean has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.