OtegoNY
A town of 903, settled in 1809.
Is Otego a good place to live?
Otego has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Otego has shrunk 17% since 2010
1,010 counted in 2010 and 875 in 2020; an estimated 903 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Moving to Otego: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Otego, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Otego.
Compared with most of New York and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Otego is higher
FEMA puts nearly four fifths of Otego’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 13% to cold waves. Flood insurance has paid out on 19 claims locally since 1979. Federal aid has come to Otego households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2017.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Otego has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
For residents in Otego, the share who live below the poverty line is 6.8%. Commuting out is the norm locally: 3% of working residents work locally. The town’s average trip to work stands at 20 minutes, against 25 minutes in New York’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Oneonta (12%), Oneonta (12%) and Otego (10%).
| Otego | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 7% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
A older population than New York as a whole
Among residents in Otego, 29% are 65 or older, where New York’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 18%. In Otego, 13% of residents are under 18. Since 2020, Otego has lost 3.6% of its people, to 903 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. A bachelor’s degree or higher: just over a third of adults 25 and older, vs 40% across New York.
| Otego | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 13% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 44 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 32% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.4 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 69% are men (NY 50%).
| Otego | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.9% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.9% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.6% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.8% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.9% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.8% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.5% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.1% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.5% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.3% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.6% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Otego is
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Otego is ahead of New York on 3 and behind on 10. Among adults locally, 37% have high blood pressure. In Otego, 15% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 15% binge drink.
| Otego | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Otego | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.6% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Otego has set aside 1.3% of its land for conservation
Walkers can cover 0.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 18 acres in Otego.
| Otego | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.3% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Otego Municipal Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes in Otego sell for about $210K
Otego’s rent at the middle of the market stands at $956 a month. 70% of Otego households are owner-occupiers.
| Otego | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $956 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Otego
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Otego
About 5 of every 100 Otego residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
903 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
About Otego
Town in New York, United States
Otego is a town located in the southwest portion of Otsego County, New York, United States. The population was 3,115 at the 2010 census. The Town of Otego is on the southern border of the county and contains a village with the same name, Otego. The town and the village are southwest of Oneonta.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 46 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,070 ft
- Area code
- 518
Questions about Otego
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Otego, NY a good place to live?
Otego has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Otego, NY known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Henry M. Youmans and Ausburn Birdsall.