You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in New York. Best suburbs in New York. Best counties in New York.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Empire State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in New York based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in New York ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$250,001 median income · 1.6% unemployment
$131,573 median income · 2.3% unemployment
$125,625 median income · 1.1% unemployment
$250,001 median income · 1.4% unemployment
$175,625 median income · 2.3% unemployment
$214,750 median income · 1.7% unemployment
$119,211 median income · 3.0% unemployment
$242,083 median income · 2.1% unemployment
$250,001 median income · 1.5% unemployment
Cold Spring Harbor is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 5,070.
$204,071 median income · 2.7% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New York’s statewide median.
New York statewide median: $85,974
New York statewide median: $507,794
New York statewide median: 6.4%
On the map
Where New York’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In New York
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in New York possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 461 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 461, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in New York. Top of that list — Sparkill.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in New York.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In New York
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sparkill | 1,483 | $250,001 | $739,034 | 1.6% |
| 2 | Glenwood Landing | 3,896 | $131,573 | $984,162 | 2.3% |
| 3 | Skaneateles | 2,543 | $125,625 | $775,351 | 1.1% |
| 4 | Plandome | 1,518 | $250,001 | $2,396,388 | 1.4% |
| 5 | Saddle Rock | 1,190 | $175,625 | $2,077,188 | 2.3% |
| 6 | East Williston | 2,611 | $214,750 | $1,374,902 | 1.7% |
| 7 | Pittsford | 1,664 | $119,211 | $505,959 | 3.0% |
| 8 | Russell Gardens | 1,078 | $242,083 | $1,831,318 | 2.1% |
| 9 | Cold Spring Harbor | 3,220 | $250,001 | $1,672,270 | 1.5% |
| 10 | East Norwich | 2,697 | $204,071 | $977,908 | 2.7% |
| 11 | Munsey Park | 2,778 | $250,001 | $2,377,695 | 6.2% |
| 12 | Albertson | 4,891 | $132,955 | $1,068,544 | 0.9% |
| 13 | Brightwaters | 3,179 | $218,000 | $819,935 | 4.4% |
| 14 | Flower Hill | 4,803 | $250,001 | $2,367,031 | 5.0% |
| 15 | Roslyn Estates | 1,405 | $250,001 | $2,110,018 | 1.2% |
| 16 | Lincolndale | 1,323 | $234,417 | $697,588 | 1.9% |
| 17 | Fayetteville | 4,214 | $127,559 | $395,619 | 1.5% |
| 18 | Great Neck Estates | 3,023 | $237,788 | $1,963,479 | 1.7% |
| 19 | Plandome Heights | 1,036 | $250,001 | $1,938,677 | 6.0% |
| 20 | Bridgehampton | 1,531 | $139,486 | $4,572,531 | 0.0% |
| 21 | Eatons Neck | 1,173 | $234,375 | $994,977 | 0.0% |
| 22 | Thornwood | 4,140 | $170,398 | $887,526 | 1.8% |
| 23 | Searingtown | 4,720 | $212,344 | $1,318,851 | 5.0% |
| 24 | Glen Head | 4,653 | $138,465 | $1,331,236 | 2.0% |
| 25 | Sag Harbor | 2,489 | $129,821 | $2,226,950 | 0.4% |
| 26 | Shrub Oak | 2,498 | $172,778 | $596,603 | 0.5% |
| 27 | Port Washington North | 3,149 | $136,389 | $1,268,767 | 4.2% |
| 28 | Atlantic Beach | 1,422 | $165,565 | $1,479,764 | 3.1% |
| 29 | Ardsley | 4,998 | $243,000 | $999,658 | 5.7% |
| 30 | Village of the Branch | 1,903 | $173,958 | $845,805 | 3.1% |
| 31 | Chappaqua | 3,046 | $241,432 | $1,435,562 | 6.2% |
| 32 | Hartsdale | 2,903 | $132,778 | $713,086 | 3.2% |
| 33 | East Ithaca | 1,918 | $116,410 | $398,639 | 2.3% |
| 34 | Liverpool | 2,695 | $86,932 | $279,419 | 2.0% |
| 35 | Bellport | 1,948 | $146,083 | $606,187 | 2.0% |
| 36 | Great Neck Gardens | 1,492 | $136,092 | $1,544,711 | 0.0% |
| 37 | Head of the Harbor | 1,384 | $250,001 | $1,322,851 | 1.2% |
| 38 | Valhalla | 2,937 | $134,037 | $864,368 | 1.9% |
| 39 | Gang Mills | 4,177 | $108,194 | $369,523 | 1.0% |
| 40 | Katonah | 2,176 | $207,083 | $1,082,582 | 0.9% |
| 41 | Thiells | 4,475 | $133,623 | $730,773 | 2.4% |
| 42 | South Hempstead | 3,108 | $156,023 | $699,299 | 4.9% |
| 43 | Armonk | 4,429 | $230,357 | $1,645,560 | 2.0% |
| 44 | Roslyn | 2,978 | $116,386 | $1,660,036 | 2.1% |
| 45 | Baxter Estates | 1,058 | $153,750 | $1,359,230 | 3.1% |
| 46 | Water Mill | 2,764 | $186,875 | $4,576,621 | 6.0% |
| 47 | Bellerose | 1,136 | $232,250 | $1,034,520 | 6.1% |
| 48 | New Hartford | 1,989 | $82,717 | $268,875 | 2.6% |
| 49 | Lloyd Harbor | 3,565 | $250,001 | $2,031,896 | 0.9% |
| 50 | Laurel Hollow | 1,927 | $250,001 | $2,250,435 | 2.2% |
| 51 | Poquott | 1,127 | $190,391 | $990,307 | 2.3% |
| 52 | West Sayville | 4,800 | $166,312 | $675,519 | 1.1% |
| 53 | Halesite | 2,661 | $175,368 | $1,020,381 | 7.6% |
| 54 | Old Field | 1,007 | $250,001 | $1,579,818 | 4.8% |
| 55 | Piermont | 2,514 | $140,450 | $813,807 | 4.4% |
| 56 | Cayuga Heights | 4,000 | $166,526 | $518,818 | 3.6% |
| 57 | Clinton | 1,813 | $88,182 | $296,553 | 1.1% |
| 58 | West Nyack | 3,681 | $137,206 | $782,364 | 3.6% |
| 59 | Remsenburg-Speonk | 1,564 | $169,091 | $1,195,797 | 3.6% |
| 60 | Barnum Island | 2,302 | $116,250 | $904,756 | 1.8% |
| 61 | Victor | 2,687 | $90,227 | $348,674 | 1.9% |
| 62 | Merritt Park | 1,685 | $173,016 | $589,631 | 1.1% |
| 63 | Shinnecock Hills | 2,545 | $132,708 | $1,647,516 | 2.0% |
| 64 | Washington Mills | 2,112 | $134,397 | $277,142 | 2.4% |
| 65 | Clarence Center | 2,432 | $143,344 | $573,703 | 4.5% |
| 66 | Spackenkill | 4,279 | $141,005 | $527,804 | 6.4% |
| 67 | Garden City South | 4,075 | $136,164 | $857,940 | 2.9% |
| 68 | Red Hook | 2,275 | $107,411 | $453,157 | 2.4% |
| 69 | Lake Success | 2,829 | $244,079 | $1,863,190 | 3.3% |
| 70 | Sands Point | 2,722 | $250,001 | $3,232,903 | 4.5% |
| 71 | Thomaston | 2,744 | $157,917 | $1,298,841 | 3.2% |
| 72 | Shenorock | 1,558 | $127,180 | $566,506 | 5.5% |
| 73 | Pleasant Valley | 1,920 | $85,326 | $350,711 | 0.0% |
| 74 | Grandyle Village | 4,912 | $115,036 | $272,349 | 3.8% |
| 75 | Old Brookville | 2,107 | $250,001 | $2,396,388 | 1.2% |
| 76 | Buchanan | 2,397 | $128,218 | $576,521 | 1.1% |
| 77 | North Ballston Spa | 1,299 | $91,140 | $286,608 | 0.9% |
| 78 | Red Oaks Mill | 3,254 | $116,467 | $436,502 | 3.4% |
| 79 | Kensington | 1,189 | $220,625 | $1,857,799 | 4.4% |
| 80 | East Atlantic Beach | 1,825 | $157,468 | $970,896 | 7.9% |
| 81 | Locust Valley | 4,153 | $152,472 | $1,196,003 | 5.0% |
| 82 | Spencerport | 3,630 | $81,029 | $319,668 | 3.5% |
| 83 | Tillson | 1,530 | $98,750 | $406,284 | 1.6% |
| 84 | Bardonia | 3,717 | $99,794 | $740,723 | 5.8% |
| 85 | Hawthorne | 4,878 | $140,856 | $782,246 | 10.2% |
| 86 | Northeast Ithaca | 2,661 | $95,250 | $481,674 | 9.8% |
| 87 | Voorheesville | 2,824 | $111,172 | $419,468 | 3.4% |
| 88 | Lewiston | 2,588 | $73,821 | $339,135 | 1.2% |
| 89 | Elma Center | 2,814 | $121,425 | $506,836 | 3.0% |
| 90 | Brookville | 2,941 | $250,001 | $2,396,388 | 7.8% |
| 91 | Lakeland | 2,322 | $91,563 | $201,177 | 1.9% |
| 92 | Huntington Bay | 1,693 | $250,001 | $1,694,636 | 6.6% |
| 93 | West Sand Lake | 3,479 | $121,250 | $386,950 | 3.7% |
| 94 | Altamont | 1,855 | $112,159 | $407,822 | 0.8% |
| 95 | Old Westbury | 4,241 | $250,001 | $2,918,405 | 5.2% |
| 96 | Blue Point | 4,735 | $154,625 | $701,079 | 6.2% |
| 97 | West Bay Shore | 4,208 | $137,083 | $700,224 | 4.5% |
| 98 | Averill Park | 1,615 | $117,946 | $372,436 | 1.9% |
| 99 | Manhasset Hills | 3,692 | $165,536 | $1,267,449 | 3.1% |
| 100 | Fort Montgomery | 2,422 | $84,570 | $459,935 | 1.3% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 461 New York towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in New York are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in New York are Sparkill, Glenwood Landing, Skaneateles, Plandome, Saddle Rock, East Williston, Pittsford, Russell Gardens, Cold Spring Harbor, and East Norwich. Not sold on New York? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In New York FAQs
What is the best small town to live in New York?
Sparkill is the best small town in New York for 2026. The median household income there is $250,001 and the median home costs $739,034. Glenwood Landing and Skaneateles round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in New York?
The best small towns in New York are Sparkill, Glenwood Landing, Skaneateles, Plandome, Saddle Rock, East Williston, Pittsford, Russell Gardens, Cold Spring Harbor, and East Norwich. We ranked all 461 New York towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any New York place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 461 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in New York?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Sparkill, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Sparkill?
The median home in Sparkill runs $739,034, against $507,794 across New York as a whole. Pair that with a $250,001 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
