Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Niles’ best subject grades are an A for history and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a C− for walkability. Only 99 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on hazard risk. The biggest park or preserve is Frozen Ocean State Forest, at 744 acres. Niles has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Niles beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Niles is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,234 in 1840, 1,194 in 2010. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 4 maps from 1899 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Niles, 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 Niles.
1.7% of Niles working residents work locally, below both New York’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (8%). Jobs based in Niles fell to 89 in 2023, 53 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Moravia (13%), Auburn (9%) and Syracuse (5%).
| Niles | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Niles.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Niles has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 79°F, Niles’ July high is where New York’s towns sit at 81°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
6.3 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Niles’ trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Niles | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Owasco Bluffs Nature Preserve | 1 mi | 73 |
| 2. Bahar Nature Preserve | 0.6 mi | 59 |
| 3. Carpenter Falls Unique Area | 0.6 mi | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Niles beats the New York average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 37% of adults have high blood pressure in Niles.
| Niles | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 81% | 79% |
| What stands out | Niles | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.4% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12.2% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.1% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
95% of Niles households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Niles. Close and well known come first.
20 mi Stadium & arenaJMA Wireless Dome
18 mi LakeCayuga Lake
27 mi LakeSeneca Lake
21 mi LakeOnondaga Lake
21 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
39 mi State parkWatkins Glen State ParkJMA Wireless Dome: Jimhoward03, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Onondaga Lake: R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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
1 within 15 miles of the center of Niles
About 1 of every 100 Niles residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Niles’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $197,000, 62% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
2 notable people were born here, including Jacob Brinkerhoff and Edward D. Ellis.
.jpg){kind=link}
