Is Elwood, NY a Good Place to Live?
Elwood is a small city of 11,124 in New York, with a median household income of $161,406 and a 2.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Elwood stands out for solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Elwood is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Elwood city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 112.5Elwood's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Elwood costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Elwood, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $638,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,454 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 97.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $161,406 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeElwood's violent crime rate is 81.3 per 100,000 residents — 79% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Elwood is served primarily by ELWOOD UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Elwood, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | ELWOOD UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 48.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Elwood sees average highs of 37.9°F in January and 83.2°F in July, with 48.5 inches of annual precipitation and 31.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Elwood, NY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 37.9°F |
| Average High — July | 83.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 31.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Elwood, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,124 | — |
| Median Age | 46.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 42.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 76.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.2% | 16.8% |