Main Street on Labor Day, 1907. Phelps, N.Y, 1907
Phelps’s story
214 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1907.
- 1812Phelps is settled
PhelpsNY
Photo: Jared Kofsky/Placenj.com · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,850
2025 Census estimate · −1.2% since 2020
Median home value
$170K
Census ACS
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
38.5
years
Jobs based here
345
A commuter town
Is Phelps a good place to live?
Phelps’ best subject grades are an A for history and civic life; its weakest is a C− for schools. 26% of residents are under 18 in Phelps, above both New York’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (22%). Phelps has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Phelps stand out
Where Phelps beats most towns.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Phelps for work
Where Phelps’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
345jobs based in Phelps
3%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Phelps grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Phelps is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 15% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →SchoolsBehind 77% of New York districts on tests and graduationC−Open →Jobs & income$71K median household income; 345 jobs based hereCOpen →HealthClifton Springs Hospital and Clinic 3.9 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 7.1% of households have no car; 3.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $170K, 2.2 years of the Rochester metro’s $76K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landC+Open →HistoryAOpen →Civic life4.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Phelps: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Phelps, and how to reach them.
PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPhelps Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Phelps’ trash rules yet
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 hereOntario County Board of ElectionsOntario County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code1453214532 100%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 Phelps.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Phelps
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities.
15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtStrong wind
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Phelps’ workers commute out
Most working residents leave Phelps for work: only 3% work in town. Phelps’ average trip to work is 20 minutes, where New York’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Phelps.
3%work in town
| Phelps | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Phelps3%
Manchester10%
Phelps8%
Rochester8%
Geneva6%
14 mi
median commute distance
345
jobs based in Phelps
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 65% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Phelps is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns
Phelps beats the New York average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 39% of Phelps adults sleep under 7 hours.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Phelps | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 5.7% | 5.9% | 8.1% |
32 measures vs. New York
6 better22 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Phelps | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.5% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 7.7% |
Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic
3.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Phelps
Phelps has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Phelps is 81°F.
57″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–34°
Spring35–55°
Summer59–79°
Fall42–60°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Phelps
Phelps's reported crime rate is well below New York's. Phelps’ property crime rate is 0.5 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Phelps | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Phelps0
New York3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Phelps0.5
New York15.7
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1.1%conserved
1.1%
conserved · 8 of 736 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Methodist Memorial Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B−
Homes in Phelps sell for about $225K
$225Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in April
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 59 attractions →Seneca Lake and 27 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Phelps. Close and well known come first.
23 mi LakeSeneca Lake
8 mi MountainCumorah
26 mi LakeCayuga Lake
29 mi MuseumGeorge Eastman Museum
31 mi Stadium & arenaBlue Cross Arena
30 mi MuseumThe National Museum of PlaySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · George Eastman Museum: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Blue Cross Arena: Matthew D. Wilson (LtPowers), CC BY-SA 3.0 · The National Museum of Play: Misc, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Phelps
19pages on Phelps
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Phelps
Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing & Health SciencesCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Geneva6.8 mi$13,620 tuitionHobart William Smith CollegesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Geneva7.9 mi$65,117 tuitionFinger Lakes Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Canandaigua11 mi$6,234 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Phelps residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
About Phelps
Town in New York, United States
Phelps is a town in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 6,637 at the 2020 census. The Town of Phelps contains a village called Phelps. Both are north of Geneva.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 65 sq mi
- Area code
- 585
Questions about Phelps
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Phelps, NY expensive?
The typical home is worth about $170,000, 68% 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 B−.