Irishtown church, 2008
Minerva’s story
199 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
- 1827Minerva is settled
Photo: Zach · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
735
2025 Census estimate · −4.3% since 2020
Median home value
$172K
Census ACS
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
56.2
years
Jobs based here
97
A commuter town
Is Minerva a good place to live?
36% of residents are 65 or older in Minerva, above both the New York town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Among 759 New York towns, just 3 have a lower July high than Minerva. 76% of the land in Minerva is conserved, above both the New York town median (5.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, at 52,103 acres with 32.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Minerva has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Minerva stand out
Where Minerva beats most towns.
Small town
735 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Indian LakeNewcombNorth HudsonSchroonChesterLong LakeMinerva
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Minerva: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Minerva, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid19.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMinerva WD water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMinerva Transfer & Recycling StationDrop-offTown site
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.govWho runs elections hereEssex County Board of ElectionsEssex County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2023
ZIP codes12857, 12851, 1285312857 57% · 12851 38% · 12853 6%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 Minerva.
Outdoors
Minerva has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
71 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves.
76.4%conserved
76.4%
conserved · 77,868 of 101,911 acres
71 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest | 32.5 mi | 52,103 |
| 2. Hoffman Notch Wilderness | 3.2 mi | 2,983 |
| 3. Hudson Gorge Wilderness | 3 mi | 7,089 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Minerva’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Minerva Central School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minerva Central SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 104 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Minerva has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Minerva for work: only 9% work in town. Minerva’s average trip to work is 31 minutes. Since 2013, Minerva has added 46 jobs, to 97 in 2023.
9%work in town
| Minerva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Minerva9%
Newcomb15%
Johnsburg9%
Chester5%
Elizabethtown5%
23 mi
median commute distance
97
jobs based in Minerva
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
A typical January night in Minerva is colder than in the typical New York or U.S. town
The January low in Minerva is 6°F. Minerva has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain.
102″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–28°
Spring28–50°
Summer51–73°
Fall35–54°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 23
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
High risk in Minerva, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities.
64risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesLandslides
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Minerva than in most of New York or the rest of the country
41% of adults have high blood pressure in Minerva. Minerva beats the New York average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 13% of adults have diabetes in Minerva.
| Minerva | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
32 measures vs. New York
9 better17 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Minerva | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.8% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.6% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.8% | 7.7% |
Adirondack Medical Center - Saranac Lake
33.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 38 attractions →Adirondack Park and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Minerva. Close and well known come first.
15 mi State parkAdirondack Park
20 mi MountainMount Marcy
Big draw36 mi LandmarkFort Ticonderoga
33 mi LakeLake George
36 mi LandmarkFort William Henry
20 mi LakeLake Tear of the CloudsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Adirondack Park: Original uploader was Mwanner at en.wikipedia Later version(s) were uploaded by, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Marcy: Daniel Tripp, Public domain · Fort Ticonderoga: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake George: Sixlocal, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort William Henry: IrisKawling at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Lake Tear of the Clouds: TheKilimanjaro, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Minerva
19pages on Minerva
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Minerva; the nearest are
Davis CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Pottersville17.5 mi$18,000 tuitionNorth Country Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Saranac Lake32 mi$6,682 in-state tuitionEmpire State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saratoga Springs56.3 mi$7,648 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Minerva residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Get outside
71 miles of trails in Minerva
76.4% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
2
Hoffman Notch Wilderness3.2 mi of trails · 2,983 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Minerva
Town in New York, United States
Minerva is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 773 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. The town has a highly irregular polygonal shape. It is located in the southwestern corner of the county. By road, it is 40 miles (64 km) north-northwest of Queensbury, 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Burlington, Vermont, 88 miles (142 km) south of Plattsburgh, 93 miles (150 km) north of Albany, and 147 miles (237 km) south of Montreal, Quebec.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 160 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,499 ft
- ZIP code
- 12851
- Area code
- 518
Questions about Minerva
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Minerva, NY a good place to live?
Minerva has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.