Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,719, settled in 1861.
Salamanca earns a D, 662nd of 745 graded towns in New York, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $42K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. In its favor, homes are within reach, about $81K for a typical one, or 1.4 years of the Olean area’s $60K median household income. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in Salamanca, where New York’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Salamanca is more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns. Among 757 New York towns, just 7 have a lower median household income than Salamanca.
Where Salamanca beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Salamanca is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,531 in 1880, a peak of 9,577 in 1930, 5,929 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Salamanca, 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 Salamanca.
Salamanca gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
Against the 2,908 U.S. towns with household incomes like Salamanca’s, it is less healthy than 62%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Salamanca. Salamanca beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 43% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Salamanca.
| Salamanca | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Salamanca | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 21.6% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.1% | 6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.2% | 12.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Salamanca City School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Salamanca High School, with 493 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 426 | C− |
| Salamanca High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 493 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | 0.2 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Little Valley weather station, 7 miles away, records that 133 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. The Little Valley weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 1 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Salamanca has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Salamanca’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The violent crime rate in Salamanca is 3.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Salamanca | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.3 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Salamanca has about as many jobs (2,037) as working residents, but only 504 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 17.6 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
About one in 4 of Salamanca’s working residents works in town. 4.1% of Salamanca workers work from home. Since 2013, Salamanca has lost 449 jobs, to 2,037 in 2023.
| Salamanca | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 10% | 8% |
| Work from home | 4.1% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Salamanca since 1996.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 1.4 years of the Olean area’s $60K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 99% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $1,635, against $6,582 across New York, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Salamanca. Close and well known come first.
37 mi WaterfallEternal Flame Falls
27 mi DamKinzua Dam
3 mi State parkAllegany State Park
34 mi LakeChautauqua Lake
39 mi National forestAllegheny National Forest
29 mi State parkKinzua Bridge State ParkEternal Flame Falls: Mpmajewski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kinzua Dam: Niagara, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Allegany State Park: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chautauqua Lake: Banderas, Public domain · Allegheny National Forest: IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5 · Kinzua Bridge State Park: Nicholas from Pennsylvania, USA, CC BY 2.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Salamanca
About 3 of every 100 Salamanca residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
12 notable people were born in Salamanca.
City in New York, United States
Salamanca (Seneca: Onë'dagö:h) is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States, inside the Allegany Indian Reservation, one of two governed by the Seneca Nation of Indians. The population was 5,929 at the 2020 census. It was named after José de Salamanca, a Spanish nobleman and cabinet minister of the mid-19th century. Salamanca invested in railroads around the globe, including the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad in New York State, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Salamanca.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salamanca · Salamanca | #662 | D | A− | C+ | C− | D |
| Great Valley | — | — | A− | — | C | C+ |
| Little Valley | — | — | B | — | B− | D |
Great Valley and Little Valley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Great Valley and Little Valley report no FBI crime data of their own. Salamanca and Salamanca are one community, graded once. Compare Salamanca with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Salamanca grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #662 of 745 in New York. It grades D for health, C+ for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $81,000, 85% 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 A−.
12 notable people were born here, including Ray Evans and Mary Joseph Dempsey.
