Erie Railway
Wellsville’s story
191 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,432 in 1860, 7,099 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers and 2 maps from 1926 on.
- 1835Wellsville is settled
Village of WellsvilleNY
Trash & recyclingPhoto: AlleganyCounty · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
4,504
2025 Census estimate · −2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$127K
+9.2% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
42.9
years
Jobs based here
2,717
A job hub
TownGrade
C−
#597 of 745 in NY
Is Wellsville a good place to live?
Wellsville grades C− overall, 597th of 745 graded towns in New York, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $55K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $127K, 2 years of the county’s $63K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns. Wellsville’s average trip to work is 15 minutes, where New York’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 55 of New York’s 1,216 towns score higher on history.
What makes Wellsville stand out
Where Wellsville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
0historic places
HistoryA+
Settled in 1835
A long history
A history going back 191 years.
Library visits per resident
Wellsville8.7
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical NY town3.6
Civic lifeA−
2.4 times the library visits per person
than the typical New York town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,261 people come to Wellsville for work
Where Wellsville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,717jobs based in Wellsville
25%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Wellsville grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Wellsville is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 16.2% of households have no car; 3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBehind 60% of New York districts on tests and graduationC+Open →SafetyC+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →HealthJones Memorial Hospital 0.3 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 4% conserved landB+Open →History12 notable people born hereA+Open →Civic life8.7 library visits per resident; 5.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.9; 26% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wellsville: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wellsville, and how to reach them.
PowerVillage of WellsvilleEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterWellsville Village Public WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpEvery weekCurbside recyclingTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAllegany County Board of ElectionsAllegany County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2021
ZIP code1489514895 100%Census 2020
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 Wellsville.
Wellsville draws workers from Wellsville and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of New York (mostly inland flooding).
HousingCost of living grade B
Wellsville stands out in New York and nationally, with the median rent lower than most
At 2 years of the county’s $63K median household income, the typical home (about $127K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. 65.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 52.1% across New York.
The median rent in Wellsville is $713 a month. Typical home values rose 9.2% in the year to September 2026. 63% of Wellsville households own their home.
$127KZillow home value
| Wellsville | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $713 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Wellsville$127K
New York$525K
+9.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in three of Wellsville’s working residents commute to Wellsville
2,717 jobs are based in Wellsville, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 3,461 in 2013 to 2,717.
About one in 4 of Wellsville’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Wellsville has lost 744 jobs, to 2,717 in 2023. 4.3% of workers work from home in Wellsville.
25%work in town
| Wellsville | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 10% | 8% |
| Work from home | 4.3% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Wellsville25%
Wellsville35%
Amity5%
Olean4%
Alfred4%
12 mi
median commute distance
2,717
jobs based in Wellsville
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The FEMA risk score in Wellsville is higher than in the typical New York or U.S. town
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 100% of New York towns; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Only 1 of the 758 New York towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Wellsville. Since 1981, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wellsville.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
17
paid flood claims since 1981
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
#287for trails in NY
| Wellsville | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.3% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
4.3%
conserved · 67 of 1,543 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Island Park | 0.4 mi | 15 |
| 2. River Walk | 0.3 mi | 4 |
| 3. Lagoon Fields | — | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Wellsville has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Wellsville has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Wellsville’s July high is 81°F.
54″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–35°
Spring32–57°
Summer53–79°
Fall38–60°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
43%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Wellsville0.4
New York3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Wellsville16.6
New York15.7
U.S.15.5
43rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
35th
percentile among NY towns
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
75
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthB−
Wellsville ranks healthier than 51% of the country’s towns
Against the 7,439 U.S. towns with household incomes like Wellsville’s, it is healthier than 84%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Wellsville beats the New York average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
51%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Wellsville | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New York
4 better17 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Wellsville | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.9% | 17.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6% |
Jones Memorial Hospital
0.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
29th
percentile among NY towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wellsville
20pages on Wellsville
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 60% of NY districtsSafetyC+0.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than NY on 4 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB$127K typical home · up 9.2% in a yearWork & commuteD$55K median household income · 2,717 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Wellsville
SUNY College of Technology at AlfredUniversity or college · Public · Alfred12.1 mi$8,892 in-state tuitionAlfred UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Alfred12.3 mi$41,500 tuition
About 6 of every 100 Wellsville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
Famous people from Wellsville
12 notable people were born in Wellsville.
K
Kathryn WoolardAmerican linguistic anthropologist · born 1950
J
Jack StevensonAmerican author and film showman · born 1955About Wellsville
Town in New York, United States
Wellsville is a town and largest community in Allegany County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 7,099. Wellsville is centrally located in the south half of the county, 8 miles (13 km) north of the Pennsylvania border. Wellsville is also the name of the main village within this town. The village and the town have two separate, paid governments. Alfred State College maintains a branch campus in the town, with the main campus in Alfred 7 miles (11 km) east.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 37 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,505 ft
- ZIP code
- 14895
Questions about Wellsville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wellsville, NY a good place to live?
Wellsville grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #597 of 745 in New York. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Wellsville, NY expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
What is Wellsville, NY known for?
12 notable people were born here, including Adam McMullen and Charles Monroe Sheldon.