Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Plattsburgh is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, 604th among New York's 745 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: residents are healthier than 59% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Expect to pay for it: homes are expensive, about $254K for a typical one and 3.6 times the Plattsburgh area’s $71K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 25 places on the National Register. 36% of working residents work locally in Plattsburgh, against 10% in New York’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Kent-Delord House and Old Stone Barracks. Plattsburgh is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 91% of U.S. towns.
Where Plattsburgh beats most towns.
Census counts: 3,032 in 1860, 19,841 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1813 and 6 maps from 1894 on.
25 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Plattsburgh is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plattsburgh, 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 Plattsburgh.
Plattsburgh is shaped by its college students, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of New York.
7.3 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. The trail density in Plattsburgh is 1.1 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is US Oval Park, at 34 acres.
| Plattsburgh | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.6% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Melissa Penfield Park | 1.1 mi | 28 |
| 2. Waterfront Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
| 3. US Oval Park | — | 34 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Plattsburgh City School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Plattsburgh Senior High School, with 566 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 392 | C− |
| Plattsburgh Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 566 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
38% of Plattsburgh households own their home. Typical home values rose 5.5% in the year to September 2026.
| Plattsburgh | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 38% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,030 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
20% of residents are enrolled in college, against 7% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
Adults 18 to 34 are 40% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (39% statewide). 13% of residents are under 18 in Plattsburgh. 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
| Plattsburgh | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 13% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 31.9 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 20% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.7 points). Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 29.9, men 34.3.
| Plattsburgh | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 27.1% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.7% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.6% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.7% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.3% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.1% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.3% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.5% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.9% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Plattsburgh has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Plattsburgh’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 7,495 working residents takes 16.6 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
About one in 3 of Plattsburgh’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Plattsburgh has lost 1,293 jobs, to 10,962 in 2023. The top destinations are Plattsburgh (23%), Albany (2%) and Malone (2%).
| Plattsburgh | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 19 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Plattsburgh.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 8,204 U.S. towns with household incomes like Plattsburgh’s, it is healthier than 87%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Plattsburgh beats the New York average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| Plattsburgh | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Plattsburgh | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.5% | 11.5% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 32.5% | 37.7% |
| More adults with depression | 24% | 17.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Plattsburgh. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi LakeLake Champlain
33 mi MountainMount Mansfield
31 mi MountainWhiteface Mountain
11 mi Canyon & gorgeAusable Chasm
35 mi Ski areaStowe Mountain Resort144 runs · 2,390 ft vertical
25 mi MuseumShelburne MuseumLake Champlain: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Mount Mansfield: Original uploader was Calzarette (Joe Calzarette) at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Whiteface Mountain: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ausable Chasm: Alan Prusila / Alanp35 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Stowe Mountain Resort: Stevage, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shelburne Museum: Storylanding, CC0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Plattsburgh
College town 20 of every 100 Plattsburgh residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
25 places in Plattsburgh on the National Register of Historic Places.
28 notable people were born in Plattsburgh.
City in New York, United States
Plattsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding (and separately incorporated) Town of Plattsburgh was 11,886 as of the 2020 census, making the combined population of Plattsburgh to be 31,727. Plattsburgh lies just to the northeast of Adirondack Park, immediately outside of the park boundaries. It is the second largest community in the North Country region (after Watertown), and serves as the main commercial hub for the sparsely populated northern Adirondack Mountains. The explorer Samuel de Champlain was the first eve…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Plattsburgh.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plattsburgh | #604 | C− | C | C+ | C+ | B |
| Parc | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Parc isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Plattsburgh with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Plattsburgh grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #604 of 745 in New York. It grades B for health, C+ for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
28 notable people were born here, including Jean Arthur and Michael P. Anderson.
