The Town Files

Bradford, New York

Town in Steuben County · population 806 (2020 Census)

Map: where Bradford is in New YorkBradford
Median home
$120,000
Household income
$60,625
Jan low / Jul high
12° / 79°
Snow a year
49 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
45.9

Bradford is a town of 806 people in Steuben County, New York. The median home is worth $120,000, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for a vacation home than 97% of New York towns, quieter than 96% of New York towns, better for families than 84% of New York towns.

Bradford in our rankings:

How Bradford ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Bradford lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement82nd pctFamilies84th pctQuiet96th pctWalkability11th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals9th pctVibrancy4th pctHip & trendy7th pctCollege town49th pctUpscale48th pctVacation homes97th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving70th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Bradford is worth $120,000, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $60,625, which is more affordable than 84% of New York towns. Median rent is $770 a month. 87.1% of households own their home.

Bradford vs Steuben County vs typical New York townBradfordSteuben CountyTypical New York townHome value$120,000$137,900$217,700Household income$60,625$65,887$80,740Monthly rent$770$894$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingBradfordTypical New York town
Median home value$120,000$217,700
Median rent$770$1,080
Median household income$60,625$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.0×2.8×
Homeownership87.1%79.5%
Median year built19781965
Seasonal / vacation homes8.7%—

Who lives in Bradford

PeopleBradfordTypical New York town
Median age45.943.5
Age 65 and over22.4%20.4%
Under 1818.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher14.7%30.4%
Below the poverty line10.4%9.3%
Veterans8.7%—
Born outside the U.S.0.4%—
Work from home9.5%11.1%
Average commute30.1 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband76.7%91.1%

Weather in Bradford

July highs average 79.1°F and January lows 12.2°F. About 38.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.9 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 163 nights at or below freezing.

Bradford monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing30°12°Jan33°13°Feb42°20°Mar55°31°Apr68°42°May75°51°Jun79°55°Jul77°54°Aug70°47°Sep58°36°Oct45°27°Nov34°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.311.81.910.73.012.03.41.63.04.23.73.94.23.60.22.93.02.79.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Corning station (14.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Bradford since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on April 27, 2011 about 5.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 27, 2011.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Bradford by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s02000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 30, 1999.

Severe weather in Steuben County since 1996

Storm events in Steuben County since 1996 by typeHail117Flood7Drought7Tornado7High Wind17Ice Storm7Lightning9Heavy Snow39
NOAA Storm Events Database, Steuben County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Steuben County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 24, 2024Tropical StormDR-4825: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby
October 8, 2021HurricaneDR-4625: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
July 8, 2014Severe StormDR-4180: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Steuben County

Steuben County had 34,564 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $72,111 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Bradford itself the ACS puts it at 8.6%.

Largest industries in Steuben CountyHealth care & social assistan…5,523 jobs · $52,283Manufacturing4,043 jobs · $81,921Retail3,728 jobs · $37,168Professional & technical serv…3,270 jobs · $152,977Hotels & restaurants2,585 jobs · $25,422Company management1,228 jobs · $264,000
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Steuben County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Steuben 4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Bradford

1 public school with 248 students, about 8.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
BRADFORD CENTRAL SCHOOLPK-122488.3

Towns near Bradford

Bradford questions

Is Bradford, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bradford scores better for retirees than 82% of New York towns and quieter than 96%. 22.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.9).

How much does a house cost in Bradford?

The median owner-occupied home in Bradford is valued at $120,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $60,625, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $770 a month.

What is the weather like in Bradford?

July highs average 79.1°F and January lows 12.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.7 inches of precipitation a year and 48.9 inches of snow.

Does Bradford get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Bradford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on April 27, 2011. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Bradford's Census boundary (GEOID 3610107740). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.