Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Stanford’s weakest subject is cost of living (C) — the typical home is worth about $424K, 4.3 years of the Kiryas Joel metro’s $98K median household income. Health is its strong suit: residents are healthier than 83% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The overall grade lands at B−, better than half of U.S. towns. It ranks 391st of 745 in New York. On civic life, just 98 of New York’s 1,187 towns do better. Its National Register listings include Dr. Cornelius Nase Campbell House and Bangall Post Office. 14% of residents are under 18 here, where New York’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 22%. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Stanford beats most towns.
Census counts: 2,518 in 1820, a low of 1,269 in 1930, 3,682 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1876 and 4 maps from 1899 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Stanford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Stanford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
14 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
15 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year
30 mi LakeCandlewood Lake
24 mi MuseumOlana State Historic Site16 mi MuseumFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and MuseumUnited States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Daderot, Public domain · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Olana State Historic Site: Netniks, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Stanford, 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 Stanford.
36% of Stanford adults have high blood pressure. Against the New York average, Stanford comes out ahead on 9 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 3. In Stanford, 14% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 15% binge drink.
| Stanford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Stanford | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.6% | 17.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Pine Plains Central School District. Stanford’s only public school teaches 144 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Spring Early Learning CenterLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–1 | Grades PK–1 | 144 | – |
| Millbrook School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 330 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Just 8% of Stanford’s working residents have a job in town. The town had 492 jobs in 2023, down 121 from 2013. Its mean commuting time stands at 30 minutes. The top destinations are New York (13%), Poughkeepsie (8%) and Poughkeepsie (4%).
| Stanford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
There are 12 miles of trail across 4 parks and preserves. Buttercup Farm Audubon Sanctuary, at 621 acres with 7.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Stanford’s trail network density stands at 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Stanford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.6% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buttercup Farm Audubon Sanctuary | 7.4 mi | 621 |
| 2. Stissing Mountain Multiple Use Area | 2.3 mi | 195 |
| 3. Whitlock Preserve | 1 mi | 34 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 16°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of adults 25 and older in Stanford who hold a bachelor’s degree or more: 45%. Children under 18 are 14% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (39% statewide). The town’s median age comes in at 51.3 years.
| Stanford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.3 years | 42.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 14% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 20% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Stanford | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.1% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.5% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.1% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.2% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.6% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.5% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.8% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.9% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,700, single groups can be off by several points
Flood insurance has paid out on 6 claims in Stanford since 2007. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 52% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Stanford after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
72% of households live in a home they own in Stanford. In Stanford, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,124 a month.
| Stanford | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 72% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,124 a month | $1,098 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Stanford
About 4 of every 100 Stanford residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Stanford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 places in Stanford on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Stanford.
Town in New York, United States
Stanford is a town in the north-central part of Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 3,628 at the 2020 census, down from 3,823 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Stanford.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford | #391 | B− | C | — | B− | A− |
| Clinton | #392 | B− | D | — | C+ | A |
| Washington | #165 | A− | C− | — | A− | A |
| Pine Plains | — | — | C+ | — | B− | A− |
| North East | #568 | C | C | — | D− | A− |
| Milan | — | — | D | — | B | A |
| Amenia | #673 | D | C+ | — | D− | B+ |
Pine Plains and Milan have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Stanford, Clinton, Washington, Pine Plains, North East, Milan and Amenia report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Stanford with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Stanford grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #391 of 745 in New York. It grades A− for health and B− for schools.
The typical home is worth about $424,000, 19% 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.
4 notable people were born here, including Isaac R. Sherwood and Joel Thompson.
