The Town Files

Gates, New York

Community in Monroe County · population 4,956 (2020 Census)

Map: where Gates is in New YorkGates
Median home
$168,600
Household income
$54,647
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 83°
Snow a year
102 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
40.8

Gates is a community of 4,956 people in Monroe County, New York. The median home is worth $168,600, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 98% of New York towns, more vibrant than 88% of New York towns, hipper than 87% of New York towns.

Gates in our rankings:

How Gates 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.

Gates lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement3rd pctFamilies31st pctQuiet62nd pctWalkability83rd pctFirst-time buyers98th pctYoung professionals40th pctVibrancy88th pctHip & trendy87th pctCollege town1st pctUpscale25th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit66th pctDriving52nd 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 Gates is worth $168,600, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $54,647, which is more affordable than 43% of New York towns. Median rent is $2,110 a month. 94.3% of households own their home.

Gates vs Monroe County vs typical New York townGatesMonroe CountyTypical New York townHome value$168,600$213,700$217,700Household income$54,647$76,382$80,740Monthly rent$2,110$1,173$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingGatesTypical New York town
Median home value$168,600$217,700
Median rent$2,110$1,080
Median household income$54,647$80,740
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership94.3%79.5%
Median year built19601965
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Gates

PeopleGatesTypical New York town
Median age40.843.5
Age 65 and over20.4%20.4%
Under 1821.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher34.7%30.4%
Below the poverty line21.4%9.3%
Veterans2.0%—
Born outside the U.S.13.2%—
Work from home16.0%11.1%
Average commute18.2 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband91.7%91.1%

Weather in Gates

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 19.0°F. About 35.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 102.0 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 129 nights at or below freezing.

Gates monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°19°Jan35°20°Feb44°27°Mar57°37°Apr69°48°May78°57°Jun83°62°Jul81°61°Aug74°54°Sep61°43°Oct49°34°Nov39°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.527.42.123.12.517.93.03.02.90.13.43.63.33.23.20.12.88.12.722.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Rochester Gtr Intl Ap station (2.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gates since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on July 25, 2009 about 9.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 25, 2009.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Gates by decade01950s01960s11970s01980s01990s12000s02010s02020s
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 22 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 10, 1985.

Severe weather in Monroe County since 1996

Storm events in Monroe County since 1996 by typeHail70Flood42High Wind74Lightning12Heavy Rain9Heavy Snow39Flash Flood62Frost/Freeze23
NOAA Storm Events Database, Monroe County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
November 14, 2017FloodDR-4348: Flooding
October 28, 2012HurricaneEM-3351: Hurricane Sandy
September 30, 2005HurricaneEM-3262: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Monroe County

Monroe County had 382,138 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $66,838 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Gates itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.

Largest industries in Monroe CountyHealth care & social assistan…73,647 jobs · $59,625Retail35,169 jobs · $40,538Manufacturing34,851 jobs · $81,793Education28,018 jobs · $85,304Hotels & restaurants27,386 jobs · $26,293Professional & technical serv…22,032 jobs · $93,119
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Monroe County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Monroe 3.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Gates

Gates questions

Is Gates, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Gates scores better for retirees than 3% of New York towns and quieter than 62%. 20.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.8).

How much does a house cost in Gates?

The median owner-occupied home in Gates is valued at $168,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $54,647, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $2,110 a month.

What is the weather like in Gates?

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 19.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.1 inches of precipitation a year and 102.0 inches of snow.

Does Gates get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gates since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on July 25, 2009. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Gates's Census boundary (GEOID 3628453). 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.