Albany, the state capital · Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0New York rankings · 2026
Rankings in New York
21 lists rank New York’s towns of 2,500+ (754 with an overall grade); Brookville leads the overall list with an A+.
Graded lists sort on the same grades every town page shows; described lists (climate, income, property taxes, libraries) carry no letters. How grades work
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All New York rankings →Every New York list
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live745 towns · #1 BrookvilleBest small towns508 towns · #1 BrookvilleMost affordable towns757 towns · #1 OswegatchieSafest towns236 towns · #1 HighlandsTowns with the best schools755 towns · #1 Bronxville and Kiryas Joel and Palm Tree and ScarsdaleHealthiest towns755 towns · #1 Irvington and ScarsdaleBest towns for jobs & income758 towns · #1 East Williston and Lawrence and Lloyd HarborMost walkable towns758 towns · #1 Larchmont and ThomastonTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk758 towns · #1 BrockportBest towns for the outdoors758 towns · #1 HaverstrawMost historic towns758 towns · #1 OtsegoTowns with the most civic life751 towns · #1 Shelter IslandTowns with the least snow737 towns · #1 BayvilleDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns737 towns · #1 CarthageDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters875 towns · #1 Inwood and WoodmereDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers875 towns · #1 PiermontDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers875 towns · #1 North ElbaDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes757 towns · #1 Brookville and 11 moreDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes619 towns · #1 BuffaloDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns764 towns · #1 Kiryas Joel and Palm TreeDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries241 towns · #1 Shelter IslandDescribed, no letters
Every town
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The New York page links every graded town with its letter and state rank, plus the smaller places. National lists: rankings across America.
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