The Town Files

Norfolk, New York

Town in St. Lawrence County · population 4,453 (2020 Census)

Map: where Norfolk is in New YorkNorfolk
Median home
$105,800
Household income
$67,500
Jan low / Jul high
6° / 81°
Snow a year
76 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
44.6

Norfolk is a town of 4,453 people in St. Lawrence County, New York. The median home is worth $105,800, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks easier by car than 98% of New York towns.

Norfolk in our rankings:

How Norfolk 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.

Norfolk lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement38th pctFamilies45th pctQuiet59th pctWalkability18th pctFirst-time buyers46th pctYoung professionals2nd pctVibrancy13th pctHip & trendy12th pctCollege town28th pctUpscale1st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving98th 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 Norfolk is worth $105,800, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 1.6 times the median household income of $67,500, which is more affordable than 96% of New York towns. Median rent is $788 a month. 76.1% of households own their home.

Norfolk vs St. Lawrence County vs typical New York townNorfolkSt. Lawrence CountyTypical New York townHome value$105,800$121,900$217,700Household income$67,500$62,850$80,740Monthly rent$788$818$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingNorfolkTypical New York town
Median home value$105,800$217,700
Median rent$788$1,080
Median household income$67,500$80,740
Home value ÷ income1.6×2.8×
Homeownership76.1%79.5%
Median year built19731965
Seasonal / vacation homes1.8%—

Who lives in Norfolk

PeopleNorfolkTypical New York town
Median age44.643.5
Age 65 and over17.5%20.4%
Under 1818.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher14.9%30.4%
Below the poverty line13.4%9.3%
Veterans9.7%—
Born outside the U.S.1.3%—
Work from home1.1%11.1%
Average commute24.5 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband93.2%91.1%

Weather in Norfolk

July highs average 80.8°F and January lows 5.9°F. About 33.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 75.9 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 158 nights at or below freezing.

Norfolk monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing25°6°Jan28°7°Feb38°19°Mar54°32°Apr68°44°May76°53°Jun81°58°Jul79°56°Aug71°48°Sep58°37°Oct45°27°Nov32°16°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.117.61.616.22.014.62.94.43.10.13.73.53.43.53.40.32.65.52.117.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Massena Intl Ap station (8.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Norfolk since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 31, 1985 about 1.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 31, 1985.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Norfolk 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 10 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on October 1, 2019.

Severe weather in St. Lawrence County since 1996

Storm events in St. Lawrence County since 1996 by typeHail69Heat21Flood18High Wind61Heavy Snow21Strong Wind68Winter Storm238Winter Weather332
NOAA Storm Events Database, St. Lawrence County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

St. Lawrence County has been included in 19 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
March 15, 2023SnowstormDR-4694: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in St. Lawrence County

St. Lawrence County had 34,764 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,502 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Norfolk itself the ACS puts it at 3.8%.

Largest industries in St. Lawrence CountyHealth care & social assistan…5,356 jobs · $66,847Retail4,457 jobs · $35,104Hotels & restaurants2,629 jobs · $23,508Manufacturing2,347 jobs · $80,029Education2,019 jobs · $60,212Construction1,400 jobs · $70,832
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in St. Lawrence County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023St. Lawrence 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Norfolk

Norfolk questions

Is Norfolk, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Norfolk scores better for retirees than 38% of New York towns and quieter than 59%. 17.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.6).

How much does a house cost in Norfolk?

The median owner-occupied home in Norfolk is valued at $105,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,500, so homes cost about 1.6 times income. Median rent is $788 a month.

What is the weather like in Norfolk?

July highs average 80.8°F and January lows 5.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.9 inches of precipitation a year and 75.9 inches of snow.

Does Norfolk get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Norfolk since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 31, 1985. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Norfolk's Census boundary (GEOID 3608951330). 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.