Is Wells, NY a Good Place to Live?
Wells is a small town of 571 in New York, with a median household income of $75,583 and a 8.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Wells stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B+).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Wells is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Wells 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: 96.0Wells's overall cost of living index is 96.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Wells costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Wells, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $189,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $758 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 85.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $75,583 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeCrime data for Wells is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Wells is served primarily by WELLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 6.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Wells, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | WELLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 6.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 14.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 72.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Wells sees average highs of 28.5°F in January and 77.0°F in July, with 54.6 inches of annual precipitation and 128.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Wells, NY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 28.5°F |
| Average High — July | 77.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 128.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Wells, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 571 | — |
| Median Age | 47.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 45.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 98.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 25.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Wells
Wells, NY is covered by 1 ZIP code: