Elias H. Geiger House · National Register of Historic Places
Ossian’s story
199 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1827Ossian is settled
OssianNY
6 bordering townsMap →
Elias H. Geiger House · Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
709
2025 Census estimate · −1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$173K
Census ACS
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
52.3
years
Jobs based here
58
A commuter town
Is Ossian a good place to live?
Ossian’s median age is 52.3 years, above both New York’s towns (43 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). 16% of the land in Ossian is conserved, above both the New York town median (5.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Rattlesnake Hill Wildlife Management Area, at 1,488 acres. Ossian has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Ossian stand out
Where Ossian beats most towns.
Small town
709 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
North DansvilleBurnsNundaGroveWest SpartaDansvilleOssian
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ossian: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ossian, and how to reach them.
PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ossian’s trash rules yet
SchoolsDansville Central School DistrictCanaseraga Central School District2 districts serve Ossian; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereLivingston County Board of ElectionsLivingston County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes14437, 1482214437 94% · 14822 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 Ossian.
Work & commute
Ossian has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Ossian for work: only 0% work in town. The average trip to work in Ossian is 30 minutes. The top destinations are North Dansville (11%), Geneseo (7%) and Rochester (5%).
0%work in town
| Ossian | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Ossian0%
North Dansville11%
Geneseo7%
Rochester5%
Wayland4%
33 mi
median commute distance
58
jobs based in Ossian
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Older than New York overall
People 65 and older are 31% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (23% statewide). 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
52.3median age · NY 39.8
| Ossian | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 32% | 29% |
OssianNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school37%
Some college14%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.9 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Ossian | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.9% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.8% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.6% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.1% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.4% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23.9% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.9% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.8% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.9% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.4% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 16.2% of Ossian
4.4 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Ossian’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
16.2%conserved
16.2%
conserved · 4,088 of 25,224 acres
4.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rattlesnake Hill Wildlife Management Area | — | 1,488 |
| 2. Ossian State Forest | — | 1,278 |
| 3. Canaseraga State Forest | — | 1,270 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Ossian has four seasons and pleasant summers
Ossian has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 15° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring34–56°
Summer56–78°
Fall40–59°
Oct 16
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
High risk in Ossian, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities.
61risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Ossian is
Ossian beats the New York average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 37% of Ossian adults have high blood pressure.
| Ossian | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 16% |
32 measures vs. New York
5 better18 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Ossian | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.3% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6% |
Nicholas H Noyes Memorial Hospital
4.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
$580Kmedian sale price
| Ossian | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $867 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 48 attractions →Letchworth State Park and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ossian. Close and well known come first.
14 mi State parkLetchworth State Park24 mi Ski areaBristol Mountain Ski Resort39 runs · 1,138 ft vertical
34 mi MuseumGenesee Country Village & Museum20 mi Museum1941 Historical Aircraft Group Museum
37 mi GardenSonnenberg Gardens17 mi Ski areaHunt Hollow Ski Club25 runs · 810 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Letchworth State Park: Suandsoe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Genesee Country Village & Museum: Stilfehler 17:02, 21 August 2007 (CEST), CC BY-SA 1.0 · Sonnenberg Gardens: Nelro (talk), Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ossian
18pages on Ossian
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ossian; the nearest are
Alfred UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Alfred18 mi$41,500 tuitionSUNY College of Technology at AlfredUniversity or college · Public · Alfred18 mi$8,892 in-state tuitionFinger Lakes Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Canandaigua36.3 mi$6,234 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Ossian residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Ossian for work
Where Ossian’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
58jobs based in Ossian
0%of working residents work in town
33 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ossian
Town in New York, United States
Ossian is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 789 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Ossian, the blind narrator and purported 3rd Century author of a cycle of extremely popular epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in 1761. Ossian is the southernmost town in Livingston County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 40 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,365 ft
- Area code
- 585
Questions about Ossian
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ossian, NY a good place to live?
Ossian has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.