Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Seneca grades C+ overall, 484th of 745 graded towns in New York, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $91K and natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, its schools rank behind 83% of the state's. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. On the outdoors, just 45 of New York’s 1,216 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Rippey Cobblestone Farmhouse and Seneca Presbyterian Church. 92% of households own their home in Seneca, above both New York’s towns (75%) and U.S. towns (73%).
Where Seneca beats most towns.
Where Seneca’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Seneca is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,802 in 1820, a peak of 9,188 in 1870, 2,658 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Seneca, 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 Seneca.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Seneca.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Seneca for work: only 7% work in town. 6.2% of Seneca residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Seneca has added 50 jobs, to 804 in 2023.
| Seneca | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.4% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Seneca beats the New York average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 35% of adults feel lonely in Seneca.
| Seneca | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Seneca | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.3% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12.4% | 14.5% |
| More adults with depression | 21.5% | 17.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Seneca has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Seneca’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Seneca | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median property tax bill is $2,810, against $6,582 across New York, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Seneca is $1,549 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Seneca. Close and well known come first.
15 mi LakeSeneca Lake
21 mi LakeCayuga Lake
13 mi MountainCumorah
33 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
34 mi MuseumGeorge Eastman Museum
31 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State ParkSeneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · George Eastman Museum: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Seneca
About 2 of every 100 Seneca residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
4 places in Seneca on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Seneca.
Town in Ontario County, New York, US
Seneca is a town in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 2,658 at the 2020 census. The town is named after a group of local natives. The Town of Seneca is on the southern border of the county and is southwest of the City of Geneva. The Town of West Seneca in Erie County added "west" to its name to avoid confusion with the Town of Seneca.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Seneca.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Seneca grades C+ overall, better than 38% of U.S. towns and #484 of 745 in New York. It grades B+ for health and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
The typical home is worth about $193,000, 63% 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+.
3 notable people were born here, including Mary Ann Angell and Adam Beattie.
