Sunset BayNY
A town of 384.
Is Sunset Bay a good place to live?
Sunset Bay’s median age is 66.5 years, where New York’s towns sit at 43 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Sunset Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
384 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Sunset Bay: who provides what
Sunset Bay is unincorporated, so Chautauqua County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sunset Bay.
58% of residents are 65 or older
People 65 and older are 58% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 3% of residents (21% statewide). 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.5 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Sunset Bay | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.4% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.9% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0.5% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0.5% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 25.8% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 27.9% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 29.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 17.5% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.3% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3.6% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.7% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.7% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Sunset Bay
Sunset Bay has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 80°F, Sunset Bay’s July high is near the New York town median (81°F) and below the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
With 1.5 jobs for every working resident, Sunset Bay draws in 198 commuters
Most working residents leave Sunset Bay for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Sunset Bay has lost 371 jobs, to 205 in 2023. 13% of Sunset Bay residents live below the poverty line.
| Sunset Bay | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Sunset Bay stands out in New York and nationally, with more of its adults who have high blood pressure
44% of adults have high blood pressure in Sunset Bay. No town among the 756 in New York we compare has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Sunset Bay. 20% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Sunset Bay.
| Sunset Bay | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 81% | 79% |
| What stands out | Sunset Bay | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.4% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.6% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Sunset Bay faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Sunset Bay | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hanover Beach Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Sunset Bay
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Sunset Bay
About 0 of every 100 Sunset Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
About Sunset Bay
Census-designated place in New York, United States
Sunset Bay is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Hanover in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, Sunset Bay had a population of 470. Sunset Bay is adjacent to the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. On the reservation, adjacent to Sunset Bay, was previously home to a community of approximately 80 non-native residents who leased vacation homes. The Seneca Nation in 2012 declared the longstanding presence of the non-native residents an "illegal occupation" and drove them out of Sunset Bay.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 580 ft
Questions about Sunset Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sunset Bay, NY a good place to live?
Sunset Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.