Census-designated place · Chemung County, New York

Big Flats, New York

Big Flats is a census-designated place in Chemung County, New York, part of the Elmira, NY metro area. It has 5,651 residents. Big Flats, New York has a quality-of-life score of 70 out of 100 (high), ranking #4,647 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New York it ranks #506 of 859 cities and towns. It ranks best on drought exposure (low), poor or fair health (low) and adult obesity (low). It ranks worst on new business applications (low), comfortable days (low) and effective property tax rate (high).

70High

Quality-of-life score: #4,647 of 15,651 cities and towns
New York: #506 of 859 in NY
Population: 5,651 (2020-2024)
Land area: 17 mi²
Density: 338.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 3606464

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety39#9,587/15,637
Economy68#4,975/15,631
Housing42#8,731/14,977
Health69#4,906/15,609
Healthcare55#7,000/15,650
Environment98#273/15,453
Education67#5,149/15,649
Infrastructure72#4,338/15,650
Community50#7,869/15,651
Leisure & amenities55#6,978/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Big Flats, New York ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Chemung County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Drought exposure · low0%
98/100New York 15%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAChemung County value
Poor or fair health · low11.6%
93/100New York 16.8%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Adult obesity · low25.7%
92/100New York 32.9%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Lack of reliable transportation · low5.4%
90/100New York 9.1%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Bachelor's degree or higher · high56.2%
89/100New York 40.2%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Food insecurity · low8.6%
89/100New York 18.0%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

New business applications · low7.3 /1k
3/100New York 15.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauChemung County value
Comfortable days · low22.5%
5/100New York 22.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationChemung County value
Effective property tax rate · high2.06%
6/100New York 1.30%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Child care cost burden · high40.6%
7/100New York 37.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteChemung County value
Hospital quality rating · low2.0
9/100New York 2.8United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesChemung County value
Primary care shortage · high17.0
9/100New York 5.7United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationChemung County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
5,215 (2015-2019) → 5,651 (2020-2024)
+8.4%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
21.7% (2015-2019) → 37.3% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
41.3% (2015-2019) → 56.2% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
20.6% (2015-2019) → 27.4% (2020-2024)
+6.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.345 (2015-2019) → 0.453 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.0× (2015-2019) → 2.5× (2020-2024)
+28%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Big Flats, New York improved on 1 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 6 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Bachelor's++15 points41.3% → 56.2%

Declined3

Inequality+0.1080.345 → 0.453
Rent / income+6.8 points20.6% → 27.4%
Price / income+0.5×2.0× → 2.5×

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Big Flats, New York between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.1 min2015-2019	16.8 min2020-2024	−4.3 min	Within the margin of error	87%
Bachelor's degree or higher	41.3%2015-2019	56.2%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	97%
Broadband subscriptions	94.8%2015-2019	92.9%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Effective property tax rate	2.17%2015-2019	2.06%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	39%
High school diploma or higher	96.3%2015-2019	99.2%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	45%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3452015-2019	0.4532020-2024	+0.108	Declined	4%
Median household income	$83,1982015-2019	$89,2862020-2024	+7.3%	Within the margin of error	14%
Poverty rate	3.8%2015-2019	4.8%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Rent as share of income	20.6%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Declined	16%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Big Flats, New York five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Big Flats, New York in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Big Flats, New York itself moved −12.1 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,651 residents (±388)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,594 households (±218)

Big Flats, New York
New York share

Under $25k7.4%†193
$25k–50k17%†439
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,594 households (±218)

Big Flats, New York
New York share

Own79%2,038
Rent21%556

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,493 workers (±242)

Big Flats, New York
New York share

Drive alone79%1,980
Carpool4.6%†114
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Elmira, NY

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Chemung County, the county holding most of Big Flats's residents.

Chemung County has 1,647 employer establishments, 203 for every 10,000 residents (0.82× the US rate of 248; 0.74× New York's), with 27,912 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,864. The Census Bureau also counts 4,408 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,647; 4,408 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 203; US 248 · New York 274
Paid employees: 27,912
Average annual pay: $51,864; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Chemung County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	143	17.6	0.96×About typical	2,588	$21,538	20
Ambulatory health care services	99	12.2	0.59×Fewer than typical	1,083	$66,313	261
Specialty trade contractors	87	10.7	0.69×Fewer than typical	913	$76,947	293
Full-service restaurants	64	7.9	1.03×About typical	1,420	$21,765	10
Limited-service restaurants	56	6.9	0.86×About typical	957	$21,115	6
Construction of buildings	53	6.5	0.86×About typical	296	$69,568	123
Religious organizations	51	6.3	1.13×About typical	266	$21,586	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	49	6	1.20×About typical	224	$44,500	55
Lessors of real estate	43	5.3	0.43×Fewer than typical	214	$48,005	395
Services to buildings and dwellings	43	5.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	172	$43,930	221
Building equipment contractors	38	4.7	0.78×Fewer than typical	458	$76,498	46
Gasoline stations	34	4.2	1.29×More than typical	380	$23,797	—

Rank places for an industry Open Chemung County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 81,090 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $28.2K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Big Flats, New York: $4.98 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $28.2K; −68% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4.98; US $1,994
Sole-source: 2.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 63%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Environmental Protection Agency$17.6K62%
Defense Logistics Agency$7,75528%
Department of the Army$2,6129.3%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$2340.8%

Top recipients

HDR APTIM LLC$17.6K62%
CAVANAUGH GOVERNMENT GROUP, LLC$7,06525%
LEGION SERVICE PROVIDER$2,6129.3%
DERCO AEROSPACE, INC.$6812.4%
CHRISTOPHER ZELL$2340.8%

Spending by fiscal year

67.9KFY2017
546.2KFY2018
170.1KFY2019
517.3KFY2020
102.9KFY2021
109.8KFY2022
183.5KFY2023
-19.4KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$17.6K62%
Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336$7,06525%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$2,6129.3%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$6812.4%
Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance · 8112$2340.8%
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing · 3254

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Big Flats, New York, so they do not add up across cities.

Big Flats, New York's figures are part of those of Chemung County, NY ($688.6K in FY2026), never added to them: 4.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Big Flats is mostly in Chemung County.

See federal money in Chemung County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Big Flats, New York is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Nicholas A. LangworthyR-NY-23 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Chemung County68100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Elmira, NY66

Other cities and towns in Chemung County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3606464

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends