Living in Alfred, New York: homes, schools and costs

The book's checklist

Lower cost of livingEveryday prices run 8.4% below the U.S. average in the parts of New York outside metro areas.
More house for the moneyA typical home costs 4.2 years of the typical household's income here. Across the U.S. it's 4.1.
A safer neighborhood0 violent crimes were reported in 2025, about 0 per 1,000 people (U.S.: 3.3). Property crime: 0.9 per 1,000 (U.S.: 15.3).
Schools in townNo public schools inside the town. The nearest high school is Alfred-Almond Junior-Senior High School, about 3 miles away.
A hospital close bySt. James Hospital in Hornell, about 8 miles away, has the nearest emergency room.
Within reach of a big cityRochester is about 64 miles away as the crow flies. The book suggests staying within about 60 miles if you'll miss big-city sports, concerts and theater.

A check means Alfred meets the rule of thumb from Frank and Dave's book. An empty box isn't a deal breaker: it's something to weigh for your family. A question mark means there isn't enough data.

What kind of town

College town. About 80% of residents are college students, with Alfred University and SUNY College of Technology at Alfred in town. Concerts, sports and good food all year, and a big employer that rarely closes. Expect higher home prices close to campus.

Boom town. The population is up 26% since 2020. Growing fast, with rising home values. Watch for chain stores and big apartment complexes: the small-town feel may not last.

The book sorts small towns into six types. These labels come only from the numbers; take the quiz to see which type fits your family.

For a lifetime

Homes and money

Typical home value, as owners valued them in 2020-2024: $170,800U.S.: $332,700
Home prices since then: Up 28%Allegany County, 2022 to 2025
Typical rent, with utilities: $899 a monthU.S.: $1,413
Typical household income: $40,625U.S.: $80,734
Homes owned by the people living in them: 48%U.S.: 65%
Typical property tax bill: $5,578 a yearNew York: $6,582
Homes built before 1940: 39%U.S.: 12%
Homes built since 2010: 1%U.S.: 11%
Vacation and seasonal homes: 3%U.S.: 3%
Everyday prices: 91.6U.S. average = 100 (the parts of New York outside metro areas)

Home values and rents are what households told the Census Bureau across 2020 to 2024, so they trail today's market: county prices have moved up 28% since 2022. Everyday prices are the government's average for the parts of New York outside metro areas, not Alfred alone. Check current listings before you budget.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates; Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index for counties (all transactions); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.

The people

Population, 2025 estimate: 5,1472020: 4,071
Median age: 20.2 yearsU.S.: 38.9
Age 65 and older: 4%U.S.: 17%
Under 18: 5%U.S.: 22%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or more: 71%U.S.: 36%
Moved here from another county or state in the past year: 36%U.S.: 6%
College students: 80%share of all residents

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates (Vintage 2025); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Work

Biggest lines of work: Schools, health care and social services (52%); arts, recreation, lodging and restaurants (18%); retail (14%)
Average commute: 12 minutesU.S.: 26 minutes
Work from home: 16%U.S.: 15%
Below the poverty line: 37%U.S.: 12%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Health care

Nearest emergency room: St. James Hospital, Hornell, NY, about 8 miles away. It's a general hospital. Medicare gives it 3 of 5 stars.

Look up doctors, clinics and the hospitals themselves on Medicare's Care Compare. Ask where the most serious cases are sent.

Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital General Information.

Schools

There are no public schools inside Alfred itself. The nearest public high school is Alfred-Almond Junior-Senior High School, about 3 miles away.

Colleges in or next to town: Alfred University (1,000 to 4,999 students); SUNY College of Technology at Alfred (1,000 to 4,999 students).

See each school on the federal school search, then check test scores and graduation rates on New York's school report card.

Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2023-24 (via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal); National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS institution directory, 2024.

Internet

Homes with cable, fiber or DSL internet: 77%U.S.: 76%
Homes with any internet subscription: 91%U.S.: 91%

Before you buy, look up the address on the FCC's National Broadband Map to see which providers serve it.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Weather

January average low: 12°F
July average high: 80°F
Days 90°F or hotter: 4 a year
Nights at or below freezing: 170 a year
Rain and melted snow: 37.7 inches a year
Snow: 82 inches a year
Elevation: 1,757 feet

Weather station: Alfred (2 miles away). Averages for 1991 to 2020.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020; U.S. Geological Survey, 3D Elevation Program.

Getting around

St. James HospitalEmergency room8

Rochester, NYMetro of 1.1 million64

Straight-line miles. The road is always longer, and as the book says, an interstate at 70 is a different trip from a farm road at 45. Check the real drive: St. James Hospital, Rochester.

Allegany County is outside any metro area, with 5,000 to 20,000 people in its towns, not next to a metro area (USDA rural-urban code 7, on a scale where 1 is the biggest metro areas and 9 the most rural counties).

For a day

6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Alfred Village Historic District.

Campus life. Check Alfred University's events calendar for games, concerts and plays open to the public.

Read about Alfred's history on Wikipedia.

Know Alfred?

Tell us what a visitor shouldn't miss, and what living there is really like. Write to Main Street at mainstreet@smalltownguide.com. The best notes from people who know the town will be added here.

Nearby

Straight-line miles.

Small towns

Hornell, NY8,000 people, 8 miles
Canisteo, NY2,100 people, 9 miles
Wellsville, NY4,500 people, 12 miles
Dansville, NY4,300 people, 22 miles
Bolivar, NY1,000 people, 23 miles
Wayland, NY1,700 people, 23 miles

Smaller places

Almond, NY393 people, 5 miles
Andover, NY882 people, 7 miles
North Hornell, NY765 people, 9 miles
Arkport, NY758 people, 11 miles
Scio, NY (unincorporated)727 people, 11 miles
Angelica, NY706 people, 12 miles
Belmont, NY826 people, 13 miles
Stannards, NY (unincorporated)642 people, 14 miles

Sources

Census survey figures are estimates with a margin of error; we leave out any figure whose margin is too wide to be useful. Data last gathered October 5, 2026. See something wrong? Write to mainstreet@smalltownguide.com.