Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pomfret is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, ranked 612th of 745 in New York, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: residents are healthier than 56% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Expect to pay for it: the typical home is worth about $185K, 3.2 years of the Jamestown area’s $58K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Pomfret, against 9.5% in New York’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include US Post Office-Fredonia and Fredonia Commons Historic District. Pomfret is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 77% of U.S. towns.
Where Pomfret beats most towns.
Fredonia Commons Historic District14,965 counted in 2010 and 13,035 in 2020; an estimated 12,605 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 3.3% since 2020, after 12.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Pomfret is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,306 in 1820, 13,236 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1867 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pomfret, 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 Pomfret.
Pomfret is shaped by its college students, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Dunkirk and other neighbors.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pomfret.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Fredonia Central School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Fredonia High School, with 461 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fredonia Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 453 | C |
| Fredonia High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 461 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
22.5% of residents are enrolled in college, against 7% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
Adults 18 to 34 are 33% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (39% statewide). 14% of Pomfret residents are under 18. Pomfret has lost 3.3% of its people since 2020, down to 12,605 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Pomfret | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 14% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 32% | 29% |
| Median age | 37.5 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 20% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.8 points). Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Pomfret | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.8% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.3% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 25.5% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.3% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.6% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.7% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.1% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.9% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.7% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21.7% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Pomfret has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Pomfret’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Pomfret has about as many jobs (3,564) as working residents, but only 778 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 4,580 in 2013 to 3,564.
Most working residents leave Pomfret for work: only 19% work in town. The average trip to work in Pomfret is 18 minutes. Since 2013, Pomfret has lost 1,016 jobs, to 3,564 in 2023.
| Pomfret | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
5.1 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Russell Joy Park, at 26 acres.
| Pomfret | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fredonia State Courtyard Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 2. Russell Joy Park | — | 26 |
| 3. Lambert Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 8,237 U.S. towns with household incomes like Pomfret’s, it is healthier than 85%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
18% of adults report frequent mental distress in Pomfret. Pomfret beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 39% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Pomfret.
| Pomfret | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Pomfret | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with depression | 21.8% | 17.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.4% | 6% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 18.3% | 15% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pomfret
College town 23 of every 100 Pomfret residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
3 places in Pomfret on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Pomfret is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 13,236 at the 2020 census. The town lies in the north-central part of the county, south of Dunkirk, and includes the village of Fredonia.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Pomfret.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomfret | #612 | C− | C− | — | C+ | B |
| Portland | #672 | D | B | — | C− | C+ |
| Dunkirk | — | — | B− | — | D | C− |
| Arkwright | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sheridan | #485 | C+ | B− | — | B− | C+ |
| Fredonia | #521 | C | C− | — | B | B |
| Stockton | — | — | B+ | — | C+ | B |
Dunkirk and Stockton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Pomfret, Portland, Dunkirk, Sheridan, Fredonia and Stockton report no FBI crime data of their own. Arkwright isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Pomfret with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pomfret grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #612 of 745 in New York. It grades B for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $185,000, 65% 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 C−.
