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Living in
Olean.
About
Life in Olean
If you're considering a move here, you're looking at a genuinely affordable small city in Western New York where you can actually build a life without the financial stress you'd feel almost anywhere else—median rent sits around $794 a month and homes average under $91,000. The job market isn't booming, but it's stable enough: Cutco manufactures all its knives here, Olean General Hospital is a major employer, and the unemployment rate of 4.1% beats the national average, though you should know the city's population has been relatively flat rather than growing. The real character of Olean comes through in its community feel—it's a place where people actually stay because they know their neighbors, where local baseball games at Bradner Stadium matter, and where a median commute of just 16 minutes means you're not burning your life away in traffic to work downtown or out of state.
Olean at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
39.0 yrs
Poverty Rate
26.7%
Foreign-Born
3.2%
Broadband Internet
87.0%
of households
Population Growth
-3.0%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics3.2% foreign-born, most often from India
Who lives in Olean: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Olean, the largest foreign-born group is from India (42.3%), and 2.8% of residents speak Other Asian/Pacific at home.
Under 18
23.5%
of residents
65 and Older
19.1%
of residents
Households with Kids
29.4%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
45.8%
of households
Married Couples
31.2%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.11
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 51% below NY average
Rent, home values, and income in Olean
In Olean, rent runs 51% below the NY average, and home values are 80% below the NY average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
50.7%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
24.3%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$3,130
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
55.1%
of occupied homes are owned
Vacant Homes
11.4%
of housing units
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for NY
Unemployment in Olean
Unemployment in Cattaraugus County, which includes Olean, is close to the NY average.
Unemployment rate
Olean: Cattaraugus County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Cattaraugus County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Olean Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute14.4 min avg
How Olean residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Olean, most residents drive alone to work (73%), and 87% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 22 mi
Bradford Regional Airport (BFD)
Regional airport · few flights2,828 passengers boarded in 2025
- 62 mi
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
Medium hub2.5M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 13% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Olean runs 13% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
288
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
3,441.1
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Olean Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 16 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
81.6 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Cattaraugus County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Cattaraugus County, which includes Olean, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 16 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | Lake-Effect Snow | $19,000 |
| 2024 | 16 | Thunderstorm Wind | $90,000 |
| 2023 | 5 | Thunderstorm Wind | $54,500 |
| 2022 | 18 | Thunderstorm Wind | $58,000 |
| 2021 | 12 | Thunderstorm Wind | $183,000 |
| 2020 | 28 | Thunderstorm Wind | $107,000 |
| 2019 | 21 | Thunderstorm Wind | $613,000 |
| 2018 | 19 | Winter Storm | $123,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Cattaraugus County, county-wide
Air Quality36 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Elk County, PA (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 47 miles from Olean) is typically good — 344 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
36
Good Days
344
per year
Moderate Days
17
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Elk County, PA (47 mi away)
Climate78°F summers, 16°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Olean has mild summers (avg high 78°F) and very cold winters (avg low 16°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
56°/32°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
78°/55°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
60°/39°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
34°/16°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
40.7"
Annual Snowfall
64.7"
Hot Days/Year
2
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
150
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
179
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 13°F | 2.73" |
| Feb | 34°F | 15°F | 1.97" |
| Mar | 43°F | 21°F | 2.63" |
| Apr | 57°F | 32°F | 3.35" |
| May | 68°F | 44°F | 3.66" |
| Jun | 76°F | 53°F | 4.48" |
| Jul | 80°F | 57°F | 4.28" |
| Aug | 79°F | 55°F | 4.03" |
| Sep | 73°F | 49°F | 3.85" |
| Oct | 60°F | 38°F | 3.60" |
| Nov | 47°F | 29°F | 2.87" |
| Dec | 37°F | 21°F | 3.22" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 1.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Olean
Olean has 1 hospital, averaging 1.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — below-average care.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
2.3%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
1.0 / 5
Olean General Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles
Cuba Memorial Hospital, Inc.
Critical Access Hospitals · 11.7 mi away · Cuba
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education10.5:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Olean
Olean's student/teacher ratio is 10.5:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 29.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
4
within city limits
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
29.9%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
10.5:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, 61 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Olean
Olean has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site (61 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
National Historic Site
61 mi awayWomen's Rights National Historical Park
National Historical Park
100 mi awayPublic Libraries in Olean
Olean Public Library
134 North Second Street, Olean
Cities Near Olean
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Olean?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Olean FAQ
Is Olean, New York affordable?⌄
Olean's median rent is $794/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $51,261/year. Median home value is $86,100.
Is Olean, New York safe?⌄
Olean's violent crime rate was 288 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 3441 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Olean, New York?⌄
Cattaraugus County, which includes Olean, has an unemployment rate of 4.2%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Olean, New York?⌄
The cost of living in Olean is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $794/month and median household income is $51,261/year. The median home value is $86,100. About 51% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Olean, New York?⌄
The average commute in Olean is 14 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from