The Town Files

Scott, New York

Town in Cortland County · population 1,077 (2020 Census)

Map: where Scott is in New YorkScott
Median home
$159,900
Household income
$93,889
Jan low / Jul high
11° / 77°
Snow a year
117 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
46.8

Scott is a town of 1,077 people in Cortland County, New York. The median home is worth $159,900, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks more of a college town than 73% of New York towns.

How Scott 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.

Scott lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement60th pctFamilies61st pctQuiet66th pctWalkability17th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals39th pctVibrancy20th pctHip & trendy19th pctCollege town73rd pctUpscale62nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving68th 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 Scott is worth $159,900, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $93,889, which is more affordable than 94% of New York towns. Median rent is $818 a month. 90.7% of households own their home.

Scott vs Cortland County vs typical New York townScottCortland CountyTypical New York townHome value$159,900$162,100$217,700Household income$93,889$70,418$80,740Monthly rent$818$984$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingScottTypical New York town
Median home value$159,900$217,700
Median rent$818$1,080
Median household income$93,889$80,740
Home value ÷ income1.7×2.8×
Homeownership90.7%79.5%
Median year built19751965
Seasonal / vacation homes2.8%—

Who lives in Scott

PeopleScottTypical New York town
Median age46.843.5
Age 65 and over21.8%20.4%
Under 1819.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher29.3%30.4%
Below the poverty line12.8%9.3%
Veterans12.6%—
Born outside the U.S.0.4%—
Work from home12.5%11.1%
Average commute34.2 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband91.0%91.1%

Weather in Scott

July highs average 77.3°F and January lows 11.4°F. About 48.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 117.3 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.

Scott monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing29°11°Jan31°12°Feb39°20°Mar52°31°Apr65°43°May73°52°Jun77°57°Jul76°55°Aug69°48°Sep57°38°Oct45°28°Nov34°18°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.925.22.924.83.625.44.27.53.60.55.14.64.84.84.51.63.911.23.621.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Tully Heiberg Forest station (8.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

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

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 28 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 9, 2011.

Severe weather in Cortland County since 1996

Storm events in Cortland County since 1996 by typeHail56Flood28Drought6Tornado5High Wind12Ice Storm5Heavy Snow63Flash Flood58
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cortland County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Cortland County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 29, 2024FloodDR-4814: Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 8, 2021HurricaneDR-4625: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred
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 Cortland County

Cortland County had 16,911 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,778 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Scott itself the ACS puts it at 10.7%.

Largest industries in Cortland CountyHealth care & social assistan…2,380 jobs · $63,114Hotels & restaurants2,284 jobs · $24,256Manufacturing2,113 jobs · $75,674Retail1,931 jobs · $36,151Other services827 jobs · $45,606Professional & technical serv…576 jobs · $66,941
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cortland County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Cortland 4.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Scott

Scott questions

Is Scott, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Scott scores better for retirees than 60% of New York towns and quieter than 66%. 21.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.8).

How much does a house cost in Scott?

The median owner-occupied home in Scott is valued at $159,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $93,889, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is $818 a month.

What is the weather like in Scott?

July highs average 77.3°F and January lows 11.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.5 inches of precipitation a year and 117.3 inches of snow.

Does Scott get tornadoes?

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

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Scott's Census boundary (GEOID 3602365915). 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.