Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 16,722, established in 1803.
Thompson earns a D, 709th among New York's 745 graded towns, mostly because of schools and incomes. Its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. The median household income is $65K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. 33% of working residents work locally in Thompson, above both New York’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (8%). Thompson is more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Thompson has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Anshei Glen Wild Synagogue and Chevro Ahavath Zion Synagogue.
Where Thompson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| George L Cooke School | PK–2 | 590 |
| Kenneth L Rutherford School | 3–5 | 466 |
| Robert J Kaiser Middle School | 6–8 | 587 |
Census counts: 1,897 in 1820, 16,550 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 5 maps from 1909 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 Thompson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thompson, 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 Thompson.
Thompson draws workers from Liberty and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
10,588 jobs are based in Thompson, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 24.8 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
About one in 3 of Thompson’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Thompson has added 1,289 jobs, to 10,588 in 2023. The top destinations are New York (13%), Fallsburg (6%) and Wallkill (5%).
| Thompson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Monticello Central School District. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Monticello High School, with 833 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| George L Cooke SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 590 | – |
| Monticello High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 833 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 90% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 57 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Thompson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
35 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Neversink River Unique Area, at 571 acres with 2.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Thompson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Neversink River Unique Area | 2.5 mi | 571 |
| 2. Wolf Brook Multiple Use Area | 2.2 mi | 561 |
| 3. De Hoyos Memorial Park | 0.3 mi | 45 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Thompson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Thompson’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 9,931 U.S. towns with household incomes like Thompson’s, it is healthier than 54%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
43% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Thompson. Thompson beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 15% of adults binge drink in Thompson.
| Thompson | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 25% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Thompson | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.1% | 12.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.9% | 8.2% |
| More smokers | 14.9% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Thompson. Close and well known come first.
39 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
39 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year21 mi Park & preserveMinnewaska State Park Preserve
23 mi MountainHigh Point
33 mi LakeLake Wallenpaupack
26 mi Theme parkLegoland New YorkHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Daderot, Public domain · High Point: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Wallenpaupack: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Legoland New York: MattCC716, CC BY-SA 2.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Thompson
About 5 of every 100 Thompson residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Thompson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 places in Thompson on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Thompson is a town in the southern part of Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was recorded as 16,550 in the 2020 census. The town is named after William A. Thompson, an early settler who served as the first judge of Sullivan County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Thompson.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson | #709 | D | C− | — | D | C+ |
| Bethel | #708 | D | D | — | D | B+ |
| Fallsburg | #674 | D | C− | A− | D | C+ |
| Forestburgh | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mongaup Valley | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mamakating | #683 | D | D | — | C− | B+ |
| Kiamesha Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Thompson, Bethel and Mamakating report no FBI crime data of their own. Forestburgh, Mongaup Valley and Kiamesha Lake aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Thompson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Thompson grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #709 of 745 in New York. It grades C+ for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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