Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Orwell’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for walkability. On walkability, just 14 of New York’s 1,216 towns do worse. Orwell's schools rank behind 81% of the state's. Only 34 of New York’s 1,215 towns score higher on cost of living. 23% of the land in Orwell is conserved, above both New York’s towns (5.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Chateaugay State Forest, 3,755 acres with 9.2 miles of trail. On civic life, just 108 of New York’s 1,187 towns do worse. Orwell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Orwell 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 Orwell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 336 in 1820, 1,167 in 2010. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1867 and 2 maps from 1943 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Orwell, 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 Orwell.
20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Orwell, above both the New York town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 42% of Orwell adults sleep under 7 hours. Orwell beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
| Orwell | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Orwell | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.6% | 12.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.7% | 6% |
| More smokers | 20% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.3% of working residents work locally in Orwell. The top destinations are Syracuse (12%), Richland (7%) and Oswego (6%). Orwell’s average trip to work is 33 minutes.
| Orwell | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.3% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chateaugay State Forest | 9.2 mi | 3,755 |
| 2. Salmon River Falls Unique Area | 0.6 mi | 118 |
| 3. Hall Island State Forest | — | 601 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Orwell has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Orwell is 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Orwell; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Orwell residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Orwell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in New York, United States
Orwell is a town in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 1,167 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Orwell, Vermont. The Town of Orwell is in the north-central part of the county.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $113,000, 79% 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 A.
