The Town Files

Sandy Creek, New York

Town in Oswego County · population 3,813 (2020 Census)

Map: where Sandy Creek is in New YorkSandy Creek
Median home
$161,800
Household income
$66,583
Jan low / Jul high
11° / 79°
Snow a year
140 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
44.0

Sandy Creek is a town of 3,813 people in Oswego County, New York. The median home is worth $161,800, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks easier by car than 84% of New York towns, better for a vacation home than 74% of New York towns, quieter than 73% of New York towns.

How Sandy Creek 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.

Sandy Creek lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement52nd pctFamilies37th pctQuiet73rd pctWalkability51st pctFirst-time buyers55th pctYoung professionals41st pctVibrancy31st pctHip & trendy31st pctCollege town10th pctUpscale42nd pctVacation homes74th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit56th pctDriving84th 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 Sandy Creek is worth $161,800, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $66,583, which is more affordable than 67% of New York towns. Median rent is $794 a month. 73.0% of households own their home.

Sandy Creek vs Oswego County vs typical New York townSandy CreekOswego CountyTypical New York townHome value$161,800$151,700$217,700Household income$66,583$69,183$80,740Monthly rent$794$967$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingSandy CreekTypical New York town
Median home value$161,800$217,700
Median rent$794$1,080
Median household income$66,583$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership73.0%79.5%
Median year built19801965
Seasonal / vacation homes28.9%—

Who lives in Sandy Creek

PeopleSandy CreekTypical New York town
Median age44.043.5
Age 65 and over22.4%20.4%
Under 1821.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher22.0%30.4%
Below the poverty line22.0%9.3%
Veterans13.7%—
Born outside the U.S.2.0%—
Work from home15.5%11.1%
Average commute27.1 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband91.3%91.1%

Weather in Sandy Creek

July highs average 78.5°F and January lows 11.0°F. About 48.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 140.1 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 158 nights at or below freezing.

Sandy Creek monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing29°11°Jan31°13°Feb39°20°Mar51°32°Apr65°42°May73°52°Jun79°57°Jul77°56°Aug71°48°Sep58°40°Oct46°30°Nov34°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.244.73.335.33.017.13.92.83.93.83.74.54.05.10.24.19.44.430.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Pulaski station (4.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Sandy Creek since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 28, 1983 about 6.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 28, 1983.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Sandy Creek by decade01950s01960s01970s11980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
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 3 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on June 26, 2026.

Severe weather in Oswego County since 1996

Storm events in Oswego County since 1996 by typeHail74Flood23High Wind51Heavy Rain7Heavy Snow120Flash Flood26Frost/Freeze23Winter Storm56
NOAA Storm Events Database, Oswego County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Oswego County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 21, 2024Severe StormDR-4839: Severe Storm And Flooding
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
December 19, 2019Severe StormDR-4472: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Oswego County

Oswego County had 32,163 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,152 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Sandy Creek itself the ACS puts it at 9.9%.

Largest industries in Oswego CountyRetail4,210 jobs · $38,215Health care & social assistan…4,014 jobs · $55,884Manufacturing3,400 jobs · $85,905Hotels & restaurants3,232 jobs · $23,860Construction1,528 jobs · $72,741Other services897 jobs · $35,749
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Oswego County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Oswego 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Sandy Creek

Sandy Creek questions

Is Sandy Creek, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sandy Creek scores better for retirees than 52% of New York towns and quieter than 73%. 22.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.0).

How much does a house cost in Sandy Creek?

The median owner-occupied home in Sandy Creek is valued at $161,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,583, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $794 a month.

What is the weather like in Sandy Creek?

July highs average 78.5°F and January lows 11.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.0 inches of precipitation a year and 140.1 inches of snow.

Does Sandy Creek get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Sandy Creek since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 28, 1983. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Sandy Creek's Census boundary (GEOID 3607565079). 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.