Village · Schuyler County, New York

Watkins Glen, New York

Watkins Glen is a village in Schuyler County, New York. It has 1,725 residents. Watkins Glen, New York has a quality-of-life score of 54 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,274 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New York it ranks #666 of 859 cities and towns. It ranks best on property crime rate (low), restaurants and bars (high) and public EV charging ports (high). It ranks worst on grocery stores (low), gyms and fitness centers (low) and comfortable days (low).

54Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,274 of 15,651 cities and towns
New York: #666 of 859 in NY
Population: 1,725 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,105.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 3678696

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 70 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.

Safety98#366/15,637
Economy14#13,467/15,631
Housing44#8,417/14,977
Health45#8,578/15,609
Healthcare29#11,106/15,650
Environment96#668/15,453
Education60#6,323/15,649
Infrastructure55#7,081/15,650
Community30#10,969/15,651
Leisure & amenities54#7,253/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Watkins Glen, New York ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Schuyler 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

Property crime rate · low169 /100k
99/100New York 1,575 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationSchuyler County value
Restaurants and bars · high21.9 /10k
99/100New York 11.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSchuyler County value
Public EV charging ports · high26.0 /10k
98/100New York 10.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergySchuyler County value
Violent crime rate · low46 /100k
98/100New York 368 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationSchuyler County value
Students per teacher · low10.7×
96/100New York 12.0×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsSchuyler County value
Drought exposure · low1%
94/100New York 15%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAASchuyler County value

Weaknesses

Grocery stores · low0.6 /10k
3/100New York 3.4 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSchuyler County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100New York 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSchuyler County value
Comfortable days · low22.6%
5/100New York 22.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationSchuyler County value
Dentists · low29 /100k
10/100New York 84 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSchuyler County value
Social associations · low5.7 /10k
10/100New York 7.9 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSchuyler County value
Preventable hospital stays · high3,913 /100k
10/100New York 2,733 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSchuyler County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
2,000 (2015-2019) → 1,725 (2020-2024)
−14%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
20.3% (2015-2019) → 2.0% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
82.7% (2015-2019) → 93.5% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
46.8% (2015-2019) → 36.3% (2020-2024)
−10 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.9× (2015-2019) → 4.1× (2020-2024)
+44%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
High school diploma or higherImproving
85.2% (2015-2019) → 91.6% (2020-2024)
+6.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

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, Watkins Glen, New York improved on 0 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 12 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Price / income+1.3×2.9× → 4.1×

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Watkins Glen, New York between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.8 min2015-2019	18.8 min2020-2024	−1.0 min	Within the margin of error	60%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.4%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Broadband subscriptions	82.7%2015-2019	93.5%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Effective property tax rate	1.99%2015-2019	1.77%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	62%
High school diploma or higher	85.2%2015-2019	91.6%2020-2024	+6.4 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	4.1×2020-2024	+1.3×	Declined	14%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4542015-2019	0.4542020-2024	−0.000	Within the margin of error	51%
Median household income	$45,0602015-2019	$49,6322020-2024	+10%	Within the margin of error	17%
Poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	10.9%2020-2024	−4 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent as share of income	29.1%2015-2019	26.0%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent-burdened households	46.8%2015-2019	36.3%2020-2024	−10 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Unemployment rate	8.3%2015-2019	8.2%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.7%2015-2019	9.9%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Within the margin of error	18%

“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 Watkins Glen, New York five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Watkins Glen, 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, Watkins Glen, New York itself moved +6.5 points in standing on average over the same 10 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

1,725 residents (±234)

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

980 households (±123)

Watkins Glen, New York
New York share

Under $25k23%†225
$25k–50k28%†270
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

980 households (±123)

Watkins Glen, New York
New York share

Own50%486
Rent50%494

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−9.4 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

836 workers (±136)

Watkins Glen, New York
New York share

Drive alone61%507
Carpool7.9%†66
Public transit1.2%†10

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 Schuyler County, the county holding most of Watkins Glen's residents.

Schuyler County has 385 employer establishments, 221 for every 10,000 residents (0.89× the US rate of 248; 0.81× New York's), with 3,787 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,625. The Census Bureau also counts 1,319 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 385; 1,319 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 221; US 248 · New York 274
Paid employees: 3,787
Average annual pay: $51,625; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	44	25.2	1.37×More than typical	363	$30,667	8
Full-service restaurants	29	16.6	2.17×More than typical	262	$30,557	3
Traveler accommodation	18	10.3	5.72×More than typical	165	$37,794	25
Automotive repair and maintenance	14	8	1.59×More than typical	31	$56,065	22
Services to buildings and dwellings	14	8	1.19×About typical	46	$29,217	62
Ambulatory health care services	13	7.5	0.36×Fewer than typical	93	$67,290	57
Construction of buildings	12	6.9	0.91×About typical	157	$84,019	70
Specialty trade contractors	12	6.9	0.44×Fewer than typical	40	$41,850	106
Religious organizations	10	5.7	1.03×About typical	23	$16,087	—
Gasoline stations	9	5.2	1.59×Too few to compare	91	$25,956	—
Lessors of real estate	9	5.2	0.42×Too few to compare	7	$50,000	132
Landscaping services	8	4.6	1.31×Too few to compare	10	$31,400	24

Rank places for an industry Open Schuyler County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 17,441 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Watkins Glen, New York: $0 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $2,007
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.7%

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

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

330.6FY2017
334.7FY2018
338.8FY2019
145.3FY2020

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 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 Watkins Glen, New York, so they do not add up across cities.

Watkins Glen, New York's figures are part of those of Schuyler County, NY ($1.7M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Watkins Glen is mostly in Schuyler County.

See federal money in Schuyler 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.

Watkins Glen, New York is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

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

Schuyler County69100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Schuyler 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
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
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/3678696

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends