Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Somerset gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $167K, 2.3 years of the Buffalo metro’s $72K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 320th of 745 in New York. On the plus side, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 99% of U.S. towns. Only 35 of New York’s 1,216 towns score higher on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Thirty Mile Point Light is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Somerset beats most towns.
Thirty Mile Point LightWhere Somerset’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 Somerset is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 871 in 1830, 2,662 in 2010. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 4 maps from 1897 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Somerset, 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 Somerset.
Somerset has homes that are cheap against local pay and sees little violent crime, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
At 0 per 1,000 residents, Somerset’s property crime rate is against 7.6 in New York’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns.
| Somerset | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 7.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Barker Central School District. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Barker Central School, with 653 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barker Central SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 653 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 96% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Somerset since 1979.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here fell from 561 in 2013 to 445.
Most working residents leave Somerset for work: only 12% work in town. At 32 minutes, Somerset’s average trip to work is where New York’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based in Somerset fell to 445 in 2023, 116 fewer than in 2013.
| Somerset | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
9.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Golden Hill State Park, at 365 acres with 4.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Somerset | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Golden Hill State Park | 4.3 mi | 365 |
| 2. Barker Bi-Centennial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Somerset has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Somerset is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Somerset beats the New York average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 40% of Somerset adults have obesity.
| Somerset | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Somerset | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.3% | 17.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 2.3 years of the Buffalo metro’s $72K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 81% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
Somerset’s median rent is $769 a month.
| Somerset | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $769 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Somerset; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Somerset residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Town in New York, United States
Somerset is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 2,662 at the 2010 census. The town is believed to be named after Somerset, New Jersey, the source of some early settlers. The Town of Somerset is in the northeast corner of the county and is northeast of the City of Niagara Falls.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Somerset.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B; Yates (B+) is closest.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset | #320 | B | B+ | A+ | C+ | C+ |
| Hartland | #224 | B+ | A− | — | C+ | B |
| Newfane | #261 | B+ | B+ | — | B+ | B |
| Yates | #267 | B+ | A | — | B | C |
Hartland, Newfane and Yates report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Somerset with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Somerset grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #320 of 745 in New York. It grades C+ for health, A+ for safety and C+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $167,000, 68% 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 B+.