Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Tusten’s subject grades are a B+ for walkability and civic life; the weakest is a C− for hazard risk. Tusten’s average trip to work is 39 minutes, above both New York’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). On hazard risk, just 85 of New York’s 1,216 towns do worse. Tusten has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Arlington Hotel and Kirk House. Tusten has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Tusten beats most towns.
Arlington HotelIn 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 Tusten is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 871 in 1860, 1,405 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 4 maps from 1920 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tusten, 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 Tusten.
On this, Tusten is where New York’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 22%. Adults 35 to 64 are 53% of residents (39% statewide); children under 18 are 12% of residents (21% statewide). 45% of Tusten adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Tusten | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 12% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 48.8 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 32% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.1 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 72% are men (NY 50%).
| Tusten | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.3% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.6% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.9% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 22.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.9% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.4% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.4% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.9% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 30.4% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.9% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Most working residents leave Tusten for work: only 11% work in town. 6.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Tusten. The top destinations are Thompson (12%), New York (11%) and Delaware (8%).
| Tusten | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 39 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Tusten.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Tusten has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 15° and about 47 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Tusten beats the New York average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Tusten | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Tusten | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.2% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.5% | 17.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.4% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
19 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Tusten | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 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. Public Recreation Area | — | 2 |
| 2. Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History | — | 2 |
| 3. Tusten Veterans Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tusten. Close and well known come first.
17 mi LakeLake Wallenpaupack
24 mi MountainHigh Point
38 mi Theme parkLegoland New York38 mi Park & preserveMinnewaska State Park Preserve
36 mi National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site61K visitors a year
20 mi National park siteMiddle Delaware National Scenic River4.1M visitors a yearLake Wallenpaupack: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · High Point: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Legoland New York: MattCC716, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Steamtown National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Middle Delaware National Scenic River: Mike Serfas, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Tusten; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Tusten residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Tusten’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Tusten on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Tusten is a town is located in the southwestern part of Sullivan County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 1,405 at the 2020 census. The name is derived from Dr. Benjamin Tusten, a distinguished military leader killed when he refused to leave his troops at the Battle of Minisink.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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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