The Town Files

Elizabethtown, New York

Community in Essex County · population 746 (2020 Census)

Map: where Elizabethtown is in New YorkElizabethtown
Median home
$188,100
Household income
$64,583
Jan low / Jul high
7° / 74°
Snow a year
64 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
56.9

Elizabethtown is a community of 746 people in Essex County, New York. The median home is worth $188,100, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for retirees than 95% of New York towns, hipper than 94% of New York towns, better for a vacation home than 82% of New York towns.

How Elizabethtown 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.

Elizabethtown lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement95th pctFamilies36th pctQuiet79th pctWalkability22nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals54th pctVibrancy11th pctHip & trendy94th pctCollege town29th pctUpscale55th pctVacation homes82nd pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving43rd 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 Elizabethtown is worth $188,100, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $64,583, which is more affordable than 49% of New York towns. Median rent is $741 a month. 73.6% of households own their home.

Elizabethtown vs Essex County vs typical New York townElizabethtownEssex CountyTypical New York townHome value$188,100$211,900$217,700Household income$64,583$71,661$80,740Monthly rent$741$934$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingElizabethtownTypical New York town
Median home value$188,100$217,700
Median rent$741$1,080
Median household income$64,583$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.9×2.8×
Homeownership73.6%79.5%
Median year built19531965
Seasonal / vacation homes6.7%—

Who lives in Elizabethtown

PeopleElizabethtownTypical New York town
Median age56.943.5
Age 65 and over42.2%20.4%
Under 1811.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher31.0%30.4%
Below the poverty line15.9%9.3%
Veterans11.4%—
Born outside the U.S.2.4%—
Work from home20.6%11.1%
Average commute14.6 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband96.8%91.1%

Weather in Elizabethtown

July highs average 74.2°F and January lows 6.5°F. About 43.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 63.7 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 184 nights at or below freezing.

Elizabethtown monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing23°7°Jan27°8°Feb36°16°Mar49°29°Apr62°40°May70°49°Jun74°54°Jul73°52°Aug66°45°Sep52°35°Oct40°25°Nov29°14°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.113.12.317.22.913.93.43.13.90.14.84.44.03.94.20.33.43.83.512.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lake Placid 2 S station (20.3 mi away); snow from Elizabethtown (1.0 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Elizabethtown since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on October 10, 2020.

Severe weather in Essex County since 1996

Storm events in Essex County since 1996 by typeHail78Heat10Flood65High Wind46Heavy Snow11Flash Flood59Strong Wind60Winter Storm216
NOAA Storm Events Database, Essex County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Essex County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 24, 2024Tropical StormDR-4825: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby
August 29, 2024FloodDR-4814: Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 22, 2023Severe StormDR-4723: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Essex County

Essex County had 14,768 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $58,601 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Elizabethtown itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.

Largest industries in Essex CountyHotels & restaurants2,535 jobs · $36,365Retail1,745 jobs · $36,886Health care & social assistan…1,740 jobs · $54,827Construction1,030 jobs · $101,726Manufacturing879 jobs · $84,890Other services473 jobs · $45,522
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Essex County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Essex 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown questions

Is Elizabethtown, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Elizabethtown scores better for retirees than 95% of New York towns and quieter than 79%. 42.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.9).

How much does a house cost in Elizabethtown?

The median owner-occupied home in Elizabethtown is valued at $188,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,583, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $741 a month.

What is the weather like in Elizabethtown?

July highs average 74.2°F and January lows 6.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.8 inches of precipitation a year and 63.7 inches of snow.

Does Elizabethtown get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Elizabethtown in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Elizabethtown's Census boundary (GEOID 3623822). 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.