Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Today 545 people live in this town, first settled in 1862.
36% of residents live below the poverty line in South Dayton, where New York’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 5 of the 758 New York towns we compare have a lower typical household income than South Dayton. South Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 318 in 1880, a peak of 727 in 1950, 541 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1900 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Dayton, 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 South Dayton.
South Dayton’s median rent stands at $794 a month. Typical home values rose 3.9% in the year to September 2026.
| South Dayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $794 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
South Dayton’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Federal disaster aid has reached households in South Dayton after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2009. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in nearly two thirds of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The top destinations are Little Valley (7%), Salamanca (6%) and Concord (5%). Just 4% of South Dayton’s working residents have a job in town. In South Dayton, the typical journey to work is 30 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in South Dayton dropped by 37, to 124.
| South Dayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
32% of South Dayton adults get no exercise outside work. Among 756 New York towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than South Dayton.
| South Dayton | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | South Dayton | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 20.7% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.9% | 6% |
| More adults in frequent physical distress | 17.5% | 12.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of South Dayton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 South Dayton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Village in New York, United States
South Dayton is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 564 at the 2020 census. The village lies within the town of Dayton by the southwest corner of the town and less than a mile from the border of Chautauqua County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.