The Town Files

Stafford, New York

Town in Genesee County · population 2,424 (2020 Census)

Map: where Stafford is in New YorkStafford
Median home
$182,500
Household income
$87,554
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 80°
Snow a year
74 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
41.9

Stafford is a town of 2,424 people in Genesee County, New York. The median home is worth $182,500, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks easier by car than 92% of New York towns, better for families than 81% of New York towns.

How Stafford 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.

Stafford lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement22nd pctFamilies81st pctQuiet65th pctWalkability34th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals25th pctVibrancy35th pctHip & trendy7th pctCollege town36th pctUpscale48th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving92nd 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 Stafford is worth $182,500, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $87,554, which is more affordable than 80% of New York towns. Median rent is $848 a month. 88.3% of households own their home.

Stafford vs Genesee County vs typical New York townStaffordGenesee CountyTypical New York townHome value$182,500$170,500$217,700Household income$87,554$73,314$80,740Monthly rent$848$929$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingStaffordTypical New York town
Median home value$182,500$217,700
Median rent$848$1,080
Median household income$87,554$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.1×2.8×
Homeownership88.3%79.5%
Median year built19561965
Seasonal / vacation homes4.7%—

Who lives in Stafford

PeopleStaffordTypical New York town
Median age41.943.5
Age 65 and over18.9%20.4%
Under 1827.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher29.4%30.4%
Below the poverty line7.8%9.3%
Veterans9.3%—
Born outside the U.S.0.8%—
Work from home9.8%11.1%
Average commute21.1 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband96.8%91.1%

Weather in Stafford

July highs average 80.0°F and January lows 15.8°F. About 36.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 73.9 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 131 nights at or below freezing.

Stafford monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing31°16°Jan33°17°Feb42°24°Mar56°35°Apr68°47°May76°56°Jun80°61°Jul79°59°Aug72°52°Sep60°42°Oct48°32°Nov36°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.523.01.918.62.411.43.21.73.23.73.53.33.63.60.42.95.82.813.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Batavia station (5.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Stafford since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an F1, struck on September 3, 1993 about 4.1 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 0 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 15, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Stafford by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s11990s02000s02010s12020s
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 5 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on May 4, 1998.

Severe weather in Genesee County since 1996

Storm events in Genesee County since 1996 by typeHail21Flood19Drought5Tornado5High Wind72Ice Storm5Heavy Snow34Flash Flood19
NOAA Storm Events Database, Genesee County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 15, 2023SnowstormDR-4694: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
December 26, 2022Winter StormEM-3590: Severe Winter Storm
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Genesee County

Genesee County had 22,999 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,701 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Stafford itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.

Largest industries in Genesee CountyManufacturing3,165 jobs · $68,963Health care & social assistan…2,841 jobs · $55,791Retail2,689 jobs · $39,509Hotels & restaurants1,829 jobs · $24,920Wholesale trade1,063 jobs · $71,757Agriculture, forestry & fishi…886 jobs · $56,608
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Genesee County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Genesee 3.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Stafford

Stafford questions

Is Stafford, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Stafford scores better for retirees than 22% of New York towns and quieter than 65%. 18.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.9).

How much does a house cost in Stafford?

The median owner-occupied home in Stafford is valued at $182,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $87,554, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is $848 a month.

What is the weather like in Stafford?

July highs average 80.0°F and January lows 15.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.6 inches of precipitation a year and 73.9 inches of snow.

Does Stafford get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Stafford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on September 3, 1993. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Stafford's Census boundary (GEOID 3603770607). 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.