Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Romulus earns a D−, 728th of 745 graded towns in New York, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $69K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 80% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 90% of U.S. towns, with 1 place on the National Register. Only 108 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on walkability. Sampson State Park, at 2,031 acres with 2.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Romulus beats most towns.
4,316 counted in 2010 and 3,203 in 2020; an estimated 3,358 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 10% since 2020, after 25.8% 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 Romulus is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,698 in 1820, a peak of 4,316 in 2010, 3,203 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Romulus, 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 Romulus.
Romulus has commutes shorter than most of New York, but it has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Romulus’ FEMA risk score stands at 15 of 100, below both the New York town median (31 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Expected losses in Romulus break down as 73% from inland flooding and 8% from drought. Also worth knowing: since 1978, Romulus has seen 2 flood insurance claims paid out.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The largest public high school is Romulus Central School, with 427 students. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romulus Central SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 427 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
67.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 52.1% across New York. The median property tax bill is $2,688, against $6,582 across New York, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Typical home values rose 10% in the year to September 2026. 70% of households own their home in Romulus, against 75% in New York’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The midpoint rent locally is $1,059 a month.
| Romulus | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 70% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,059 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The share of adults in Romulus who say their health is fair or poor: 23%. Two figures for adults in the town: 18% smoke cigarettes, 22% worry about having enough food.
| Romulus | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Romulus | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18.1% | 11.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 11.6% | 7.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In July, afternoons reach 81°; in January, nights fall to 17°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 837 working residents takes 23.3 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
The top destinations are Geneva (6%), New York (6%) and Waterloo (6%). Romulus had 1,000 jobs in 2023, down 114 from 2013. Half the trips to work are shorter than 24 miles.
| Romulus | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.9% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Romulus’ trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile. Trails run 4.9 miles in 4 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves locally: 4, covering 2,136 acres.
| Romulus | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sampson State Park | 2.8 mi | 2,031 |
| 2. VanRiper Conservation Area | 0.5 mi | 84 |
| 3. Whitlock Nature Preserve | 0.3 mi | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Romulus. Close and well known come first.
5 mi LakeSeneca Lake
7 mi LakeCayuga Lake
23 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
16 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
28 mi MountainCumorah
26 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf FieldSeneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Schoellkopf Field: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Originally uploaded by en:User:Cornell010, CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Romulus
About 1 of every 100 Romulus residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
3 notable people were born in Romulus.
Town in New York, United States
Romulus is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3,203 at the 2020 census. The town is named after the mythical founder of Rome, Romulus, a name assigned by a clerk with an interest in the classics. It is part of the Seneca Falls, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls Combined statistical area. The town has a hamlet (and census-designated place), also called Romulus. Government offices for the town are located in nearby Willard. Romulus is home of the rare Seneca white deer, one of the largest populations of white deer in the world. They are located on the grounds of the former Seneca Army Depot. It is n…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Romulus.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romulus | #728 | D− | C+ | — | C− | C |
| Varick | — | — | C− | — | C | C |
| Ovid | — | — | C | — | C− | C+ |
| Ledyard | — | — | C− | — | B+ | A− |
| Torrey | — | — | C+ | — | B− | B− |
| Benton | #565 | C | C | — | B− | B− |
Varick, Ovid, Ledyard and Torrey have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Romulus, Varick, Ovid, Ledyard, Torrey and Benton report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Romulus with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Romulus grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #728 of 745 in New York. It grades C for health and C− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 5.4 years of the area's median household income ($68,089 across the Seneca Falls, NY area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
3 notable people were born here, including Jeptha Wade and George Gibson.
