The Town Files

Minerva, New York

Town in Essex County · population 773 (2020 Census)

Map: where Minerva is in New YorkMinerva
Median home
$171,800
Household income
$67,303
Jan low / Jul high
4° / 77°
Snow a year
100 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
56.2

Minerva is a town of 773 people in Essex County, New York. The median home is worth $171,800, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks quieter than 99% of New York towns, better for first-time buyers than 88% of New York towns, better for a vacation home than 86% of New York towns.

Minerva in our rankings:

How Minerva 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.

Minerva lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement82nd pctFamilies55th pctQuiet99th pctWalkability1st pctFirst-time buyers88th pctYoung professionals1st pctVibrancybottomHip & trendy75th pctCollege town17th pctUpscale33rd pctVacation homes86th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving41st 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 Minerva is worth $171,800, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $67,303, which is more affordable than 59% of New York towns. Median rent is $784 a month. 88.0% of households own their home.

Minerva vs Essex County vs typical New York townMinervaEssex CountyTypical New York townHome value$171,800$211,900$217,700Household income$67,303$71,661$80,740Monthly rent$784$934$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingMinervaTypical New York town
Median home value$171,800$217,700
Median rent$784$1,080
Median household income$67,303$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.6×2.8×
Homeownership88.0%79.5%
Median year built19701965
Seasonal / vacation homes36.8%—

Who lives in Minerva

PeopleMinervaTypical New York town
Median age56.243.5
Age 65 and over35.8%20.4%
Under 1810.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher28.4%30.4%
Below the poverty line9.0%9.3%
Veterans9.2%—
Born outside the U.S.1.2%—
Work from home11.6%11.1%
Average commute30.9 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband91.1%91.1%

Weather in Minerva

July highs average 76.6°F and January lows 3.7°F. About 45.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 99.7 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 187 nights at or below freezing.

Minerva monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing26°4°Jan29°4°Feb37°13°Mar50°27°Apr64°39°May72°49°Jun77°53°Jul75°52°Aug67°44°Sep54°34°Oct41°24°Nov31°12°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.323.02.722.33.118.43.54.54.20.24.34.24.23.74.50.93.78.13.822.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Newcomb station (9.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

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

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on May 18, 2017.

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 Minerva itself the ACS puts it at 1.9%.

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 Minerva

Minerva questions

Is Minerva, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Minerva scores better for retirees than 82% of New York towns and quieter than 99%. 35.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.2).

How much does a house cost in Minerva?

The median owner-occupied home in Minerva is valued at $171,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,303, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $784 a month.

What is the weather like in Minerva?

July highs average 76.6°F and January lows 3.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.5 inches of precipitation a year and 99.7 inches of snow.

Does Minerva get tornadoes?

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

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Minerva's Census boundary (GEOID 3603147669). 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.