Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Troy earns a D, ranked 699th of 745 in New York, mostly because of safety and schools. It reports more crime per resident than 88% of U.S. towns, including 175 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Its schools rank behind 81% of the state's. One bright spot: few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 67 places on the National Register. Troy’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile, where New York’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Its National Register listings include W. & L. E. Gurley Building and Troy Savings Bank and Music Hall. Only 63 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on hazard risk.
Where Troy beats most towns.
W. & L. E. Gurley Building| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Hudson Valley Community College | 7,760 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 7,024 |
| Russell Sage College | 1,852 |
W. & L. E. Gurley Building is one of 4 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 67 National Register listings are more than in 99% of New York towns with a listing.
Census counts: 5,264 in 1820, a peak of 76,813 in 1910, 51,401 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1801 and 5 maps from 1893 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Troy is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for safety (better than 12%), so the D overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Troy. Close and well known come first.
27 mi MountainMount Greylock
7 mi Stadium & arenaMVP Arena
9 mi MuseumUSS Slater
7 mi Ancient siteFort Orange
8 mi MuseumSchuyler Mansion
7 mi TheatreThe EggMount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · MVP Arena: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Slater: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Orange: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Schuyler Mansion: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Egg: Nitant23, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Troy, 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 Troy.
Troy is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Albany and other neighbors, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of New York (mostly inland flooding).
23 miles of trail in 25 parks and preserves. Frear Park, at 203 acres with 5.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frear Park | 5.2 mi | 203 |
| 2. Poesten Kill Bends Preserve | 1.8 mi | 70 |
| 3. Prospect Park | 1.7 mi | 87 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Troy City School District. Three of its 15 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 733 | C− |
| Troy High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,193 | A |
| Lansingburgh Senior High SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 625 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 1,779 to 1,336 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Troy’s property crime rate is 22.8 per 1,000 residents, above both New York’s towns (7.5) and U.S. towns (9.9). The violent crime rate in Troy is 3.4 per 1,000 residents. Troy reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 88% report less.
| Troy | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22.8 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Troy home is worth about $299,000, up 4.8% in a year, 43% below the New York typical home. 37% of households own their home in Troy.
| Troy | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 37% | 75% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 53% | 49% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 18 to 34 are 37% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (39% statewide). 13% of Troy residents are 65 or older. 37% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
| Troy | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.3 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 17% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 32% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.1 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 33.5, men 31.0.
| Troy | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 19.2% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.1% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.5% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.1% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.9% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.8% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.9% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.6% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 95% of New York towns, with expected losses of about $367 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Troy’s FEMA risk score is 78 of 100. Since 1979, 129 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Troy.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Troy has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 16° and about 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Troy has about as many jobs (17,286) as working residents, but only 3,415 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 21.1 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Troy for work: only 17% work in town. Jobs based in Troy fell to 17,286 in 2023, 3,937 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Albany (19%), Colonie (14%) and New York (6%).
| Troy | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 8,513 U.S. towns with household incomes like Troy’s, it is healthier than 80%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Troy beats the New York average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.
| Troy | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Troy | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.1% | 7.7% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31.6% | 37.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.1% | 12.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
16 within 15 miles of the center of Troy
College town 17 of every 100 Troy residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
7.2% of the town is conserved land, across 25 parks and preserves.
67 places in Troy on the National Register of Historic Places.
35 notable people were born in Troy.
City in New York, United States
Troy is a city in and the county seat of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is located on the western edge of the county, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River just northeast of the capital city of Albany. At the 2020 census, the population of Troy was 51,401. Troy has close ties to Albany and nearby Schenectady. The three cities form a region called the Capital District, which has a population of 1.24 million. The area had long been occupied by the Mohican Indian tribe, but Dutch settlement began in the mid-17th century. The Dutch colony was conquered by the English in 1664, renamed Troy in 1789 and was incorporated as a town in 1791. Due to the confluence of major waterways …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Troy.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Green Island (C−) is closest.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy | #699 | D | C+ | D | C− | B− |
| Brunswick | #276 | B+ | C+ | — | B− | B+ |
| Schaghticoke | #222 | B+ | B | — | B− | B+ |
| North Greenbush | #151 | A− | C− | B− | A− | A |
| Watervliet | #593 | C− | B− | C | C− | C+ |
| Green Island · Green Island | #639 | C− | B | — | D− | B− |
| Wynantskill | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Waterford | — | — | B+ | — | B− | B+ |
Waterford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Brunswick, Schaghticoke, Green Island and Waterford report no FBI crime data of their own. Wynantskill isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Green Island and Green Island are one community, graded once. Compare Troy with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Troy grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #699 of 745 in New York. It grades B− for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($88,074 across the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
35 notable people were born here, including Joe Alaskey and Maureen Stapleton.
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