Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Smyrna’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and history; its weakest is a D for incomes. On cost of living, just 28 of New York’s 1,215 towns do better. 15% of the land in Smyrna is conserved, above both the New York town median (5.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Beaver Meadow State Forest, at 3,961 acres. Smyrna has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Smyrna beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Smyrna is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,390 in 1820, a peak of 2,246 in 1840, 1,280 in 2010. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 2 maps from 1903 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Smyrna, 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 Smyrna.
1.6% of Smyrna working residents work locally, against 10% in New York’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Smyrna has added 27 jobs, to 123 in 2023. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Smyrna.
| Smyrna | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Smyrna has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Smyrna’s July high is 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in Smyrna is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wolf Mountain Nature Center | 0.5 mi | 66 |
| 2. Beaver Meadow State Forest | — | 3,961 |
| 3. Lebanon State Forest | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Smyrna.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Smyrna beats the New York average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 16% of Smyrna adults smoke cigarettes.
| Smyrna | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 37% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Smyrna | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.9% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Smyrna
About 1 of every 100 Smyrna residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Smyrna’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Smyrna on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Smyrna.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
4 notable people were born here, including De Volson Wood and William Russell Willcox.
