Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town with more to fix than most. The weak point is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 78% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Middletown’s overall grade of C− puts it better than nearly a fifth of U.S. towns, 633rd of 745 in New York. It also trails on schools (C+) — its public schools trail 64% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. At about $250K, a typical home costs 3.9 years of the county’s $63K median household income. Its National Register listings include Kelly Round Barn and Pakatakan Artists Colony Historic District. Just over a third of working residents work locally in the town, against 10% in New York’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 15 places on the National Register.
Figures: FEMA National Risk Index · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · Census LEHD, 2023.
Where Middletown beats most towns.
Kelly Round Barn
Census counts: 1,949 in 1820, 3,336 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1901 on.
15 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Middletown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Middletown, 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 Middletown.
Middletown is a second-home town and has an unusually large share working from home, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of New York (mostly inland flooding).
Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Margaretville Central School, with 301 students. The Margaretville Central School District runs its public schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margaretville Central SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 301 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
35 miles of trail in 30 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Dry Brook Ridge Wild Forest, 6,286 acres with 16.2 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Middletown: 30, covering 12,253 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dry Brook Ridge Wild Forest | 16.2 mi | 6,286 |
| 2. Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest | 0.8 mi | 393 |
| 3. Cole Hill Unit | 0.3 mi | 490 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 95% of New York towns, with expected losses of about $1,081 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
FEMA puts 88% of Middletown’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding. The national flood insurance program has paid 59 claims locally since 1987. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 11 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Middletown, the typical July afternoon high is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
24.5% of workers work from home, against 14.9% across New York.
Jobs based in Middletown grew to 911 in 2023, 77 more than in 2013. The share of working residents in Middletown who work locally: 35%. Half the trips to work are shorter than 22 miles. Its typical journey to work comes in at 30 minutes.
| Middletown | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 35% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among adults in Middletown, 32% have obesity. CDC measures, 32 in all: Middletown beats New York on 6 and trails on 10. 16% of adults in Middletown report frequent physical distress; 83% had a checkup this year.
| Middletown | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Middletown | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.5% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.3% | 8.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Middletown. Close and well known come first.
9 mi Park & preserveCatskill Park
29 mi WaterfallKaaterskill Falls
21 mi Ski areaHunter Mountain62 runs · 1,532 ft vertical35 mi Park & preserveMinnewaska State Park Preserve39 mi CaveHowe Caverns8 mi Ski areaBelleayre Mountain Ski Center66 runs · 1,374 ft verticalCatskill Park: The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kaaterskill Falls: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hunter Mountain: The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Middletown; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Middletown residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
3,750 counted in 2010 and 3,336 in 2020; an estimated 3,250 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
15 places in Middletown on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Middletown is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 3,336 at the 2020 census. The town is in the southeastern part of the county.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Middletown.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middletown | #633 | C− | C+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Andes | — | — | C | — | C− | B |
| Roxbury | — | — | C | — | B+ | B+ |
| Shandaken | #453 | C+ | C− | A | B | B |
| Bovina | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hardenburgh | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Halcott | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Andes and Roxbury have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Middletown, Andes and Roxbury report no FBI crime data of their own. Bovina, Hardenburgh and Halcott aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Middletown with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Middletown grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #633 of 745 in New York. It grades B− for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk 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 C+.
