Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.8 times the nonprofits per person than the typical New York town.
The best of Stamford’s subject grades are an A+ for civic life and history and an A for the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Stamford, where New York’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On incomes, just 6 of New York’s 1,216 towns do worse. Stamford's public schools trail 87% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. Stamford’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both New York’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). No town in New York scores higher than Stamford on civic life. Stamford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Stamford 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 Stamford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1869.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Stamford, 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 Stamford.
Stamford’s median household income is $44,000. Since 2013, Stamford has added 382 jobs, to 976 in 2023. 17% of Stamford working residents work locally.
| Stamford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Stamford since 1998.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The July high in Stamford is 77°F. Stamford has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Michael Kudish Natural History Preserve | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Stamford beats the New York average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 41% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Stamford.
| Stamford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Stamford | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.8% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Stamford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi MuseumNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum315K visitors a year
32 mi WaterfallKaaterskill Falls
23 mi Park & preserveCatskill Park23 mi CaveHowe Caverns
25 mi Ski areaHunter Mountain62 runs · 1,532 ft vertical33 mi Zoo & aquariumCatskill Game FarmNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kaaterskill Falls: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Catskill Park: The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hunter Mountain: The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Stamford; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Stamford residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Stamford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in Stamford.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.8 times the nonprofits per person than the typical New York town.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
5 notable people were born here, including Alfred Newton Richards and Alfred William Lamb.
