These Are The 10 Dumbest Cities In New York

New York is far from a dumb state; in fact, a recent Washington Post study found that it was the 17th smartest state overall, with the seventh highest rate of college graduate residents in the United States.

But there’s a huge gap in the educational levels of New York’s smartest and dumbest cities, and the cities on this list are the ones that really hold the state back intellectually.

After crunching the numbers, we came up with this list of the ten dumbest cities in the Empire State:

1. Monticello (Photos)
2. West Haverstraw (Photos)
3. Albion
4. Amsterdam (Photos)
5. Spring Valley (Photos)
6. Gloversville
7. Poughkeepsie (Photos)
8. Freeport (Photos)
9. Hudson Falls (Photos)
10. Glen Cove (Photos)

For more New York reading, check out:

• Worst Cities in New York
• Most Dangerous Cities in New York
• Safest Cities in New York

How we determined the dumbest cities in the Empire State

We realize that formal education isn’t everything when it comes to being smart, but on the other hand not knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.

So we narrowed down our criteria to focus both on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.

In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in New York:

• % of city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
• % of high school dropouts (Ages 16-19)

Note: We only looked at cities with populations greater than 5,000, leaving us 169 cities in New York to rank. We also looked at the graduation rates of the entire population, not the current rates for high schoolers.

1. Monticello

Population: 6,780
Adults Without High School Diploma: 22.1%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 22.1%

Located in southeastern New York, Monticello unfortunately ranks as the dumbest city in all of New York.

Monticello has the second highest rate of teenage high school dropouts in the state, with about 22 of every 100 teenagers opting out of basic education each year.

The city has the identical rate of adult residents without GED, with 22.1% of Monticello residents over the age of 25 lacking a GED.

2. West Haverstraw

Population: 10,308
Adults Without High School Diploma: 22.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 15.5%

West Haverstraw ranks as the second dumbest city in New York, with nearly the same rate of uneducated adults as Monticello.

The dropout rate in West Haverstraw, however, is much lower than in Monticello.

Still, with 15.5% of West Haverstraw teenagers leaving high school each year, the city has a dropout rate close to four times as high as the statewide average for New York cities with populations over 5,000.

3. Albion

Population: 5,799
Adults Without High School Diploma: 19.9%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 46.0%

Albion may only rank as the third dumbest city in New York overall, but the city’s current teenage high school dropout rate is more than twice as high as Monticello’s (the second highest dropout rate in the state).

A whopping 46% of Albion’s teenagers drop out of high school each year, so the city’s future certainly doesn’t look super bright.

On top of that, just about 2 in 10 adults living in Albion lack a high school diploma, so it’s not like the older generations do much to improve the city’s smartness scores.

4. Amsterdam

Population: 18,348
Adults Without High School Diploma: 21.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 15.8%

A city in east-central New York, Amsterdam is the fourth dumbest city in its state.

The city has the fifth highest rate of teenage high school dropouts in the state, with 15.8% of teenage students leaving school before acquiring their diplomas.

21% of Amsterdam adults also lack a GED, which is the 15th highest rate for cities in New York.

5. Spring Valley

Population: 32,007
Adults Without High School Diploma: 30.9%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 9.8%

Located about 25 miles north Manhattan, Spring Valley is the fifth dumbest city in New York mostly because of its shockingly high population of uneducated adults.

With more than 3 in 10 residents over the age of 25 lacking a high school degree, Spring Valley’s adults are about three times as uneducated as the New York average. That’s the fourth highest rate in the state.

About 1 in 10 high school teenagers drop out each year, which is more than double the state average.

6. Gloversville

Population: 15,395
Adults Without High School Diploma: 20.6%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 14.4%

Located in east-central New York, Gloversville was once the hub of America’s glove-making industry, but now it’s just the sixth dumbest city in the state.

14.4% of teenagers leave high school in Gloversville each year, which is the ninth highest rate in the state and more than triple the statewide average for New York.

The adults in Gloversville aren’t braniacs either, since about one fifth of them lack their high school diploma.

7. Poughkeepsie

Population: 30,716
Adults Without High School Diploma: 21.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 12.4%

Located midway between New York City and Albany, Poughkeepsie ranks as the seventh dumbest city in New York.

Only 79% of Poughkeepsie residents over the age of 25 possess a high school diploma, which ranks as the fourteenth worst rate of the New York cities we measured.

12.4% of teenagers in Poughkeepsie also drop out of high school each year, which is about three times higher than the state average.

8. Freeport

Population: 43,168
Adults Without High School Diploma: 21.3%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 9.8%

Located on the South Shore of Long Island, Freeport is a commuter city that ranks as the ninth dumbest place in the state of New York.

21.3% of Freeport’s adult population lack a high school diploma, which is the eleventh highest rate of uneducated adults in the state.

Just about 1 in 10 of Freeport’s teenagers also drop out of high school, which is more than twice as high as the average dropout rate for New York cities with populations over 5,000.

9. Hudson Falls

Population: 7,266
Adults Without High School Diploma: 16.9%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 21.0%

Located in east-central New York, Hudson Falls ranks as the ninth dumbest city in New York with the third highest rate of teenage high school dropout rates in the state.

Most of the reason Hudson Falls makes this list: 21% of teenagers living in Hudson Falls drop out of high school each year.

16.9% of adults in Hudson Falls also lack a GED, which is more than 5% higher than the state average.

10. Glen Cove

Population: 27,161
Adults Without High School Diploma: 20.5%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 9.8%

Located on the North Shore of Long Island, Glen Cove is the last city to make the dumb list for New York.

20.5% of Glen Cove’s adult population do not possess a high school diploma, and 9.8% of the city’s teenagers drop out of high school each year; both of these rates rank in the worst 15% for cities in New York.

So this is one of the last places in New York that you’d want to start a Book Of The Month Club.

Putting a dunce cap on our analysis

If you’re measuring the locations in New York where there are a high number of teenage dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious, here are the five smartest cities in New York, in order: East Hills, Bronxville, North Hills, Scarsdale, and Pelham Manor. East and North Hills are both in Nassau County, while Bronxville, Scarsdale, and Pelham Manor are all in Westchester County. All five are in southeastern New York.

New York City is the 30th dumbest city in the state of New York, with 19.9% of the city’s residents lacking a high school degree and 5.5% of the city’s teenagers dropping out of high school each year.

New York’s capital, Albany is in the middle of the pack in terms of intelligence, ranking as the 79th dumbest city of the 169 cities we looked at data for.

Buffalo ranked as the 22nd dumbest city in New York overall, with well below average scores in each of our intelligence metrics.

Rochester ranked just behind Buffalo as the 23rd dumbest city in the state.

Yonkers ranked as the 27th dumbest city and Syracuse ranked as the 39th dumbest city in the state.

White Plains came in as the 57th dumbest city in New York.

Detailed List Of Dumbest Cities In New York

City	Rank	Population	Adults Without High School Diploma	Teenage High School Dropouts
Monticello	1	6,780	22.1%	22.1%
West Haverstraw	2	10,308	22.0%	15.5%
Albion	3	5,799	19.9%	46.0%
Amsterdam	4	18,348	21.0%	15.8%
Spring Valley	5	32,007	30.9%	9.8%
Gloversville	6	15,395	20.6%	14.4%
Poughkeepsie	7	30,716	21.0%	12.4%
Freeport	8	43,168	21.3%	9.8%
Hudson Falls	9	7,266	16.9%	21.0%
Glen Cove	10	27,161	20.5%	9.8%
Port Chester	11	29,275	31.2%	7.5%
Wappingers Falls	12	5,377	18.8%	10.1%
Hempstead	13	54,801	29.5%	7.5%
Sleepy Hollow	14	10,002	21.8%	7.9%
Fulton	15	11,786	17.1%	10.5%
Kingston	16	23,707	16.3%	10.7%
Utica	17	61,852	21.3%	7.0%
Newburgh	18	28,614	31.8%	5.3%
Norwich	19	7,080	14.6%	14.7%
Kiryas Joel	20	21,201	37.0%	5.0%
Schenectady	21	66,055	16.7%	9.1%
Buffalo	22	259,959	17.5%	7.7%
Rochester	23	210,461	20.0%	7.0%
Binghamton	24	46,771	16.3%	8.6%
Auburn	25	27,369	16.6%	8.3%
Penn Yan	26	5,011	14.1%	11.8%
Yonkers	27	198,654	17.3%	7.2%
Westbury	28	15,201	13.5%	10.9%
Mastic Beach	29	14,880	13.5%	11.6%
New York	30	8,354,889	19.9%	5.5%
Dunkirk	31	12,386	16.7%	7.2%
Middletown	32	27,904	20.2%	5.4%
Newark	33	9,019	13.4%	10.2%
Jamestown	34	30,799	14.1%	9.2%
Elmira	35	29,046	17.1%	5.4%
Hudson	36	6,658	21.2%	4.0%
Ossining	37	25,232	28.1%	3.2%
Malone	38	5,866	15.6%	6.8%
Syracuse	39	144,648	19.9%	4.2%
Peekskill	40	23,875	19.1%	4.3%
Massena	41	10,937	11.2%	14.1%
Mount Vernon	42	67,962	15.0%	6.0%
Batavia	43	15,274	10.6%	15.6%
Johnstown	44	8,552	12.1%	7.7%
Watertown	45	27,590	11.9%	8.4%
Haverstraw	46	12,060	28.2%	2.0%
Bath	47	5,747	11.4%	9.7%
Salamanca	48	5,717	14.8%	5.4%
Troy	49	49,965	14.9%	5.2%
Ogdensburg	50	11,029	16.5%	3.7%
New Rochelle	51	78,476	16.4%	3.3%
Herkimer	52	7,752	14.1%	4.5%
Lackawanna	53	18,037	16.2%	2.9%
Niagara Falls	54	49,679	14.5%	4.1%
Rome	55	33,161	12.5%	4.8%
Olean	56	14,232	8.1%	19.9%
White Plains	57	57,505	13.5%	4.1%
Patchogue	58	12,045	15.1%	2.8%
Oswego	59	18,119	13.2%	3.9%
Tonawanda	60	15,048	9.1%	9.4%
Geneva	61	13,202	15.6%	2.2%
Port Jervis	62	8,736	17.6%	1.1%
Waterloo	63	5,178	11.2%	5.7%
Glens Falls	64	14,574	10.5%	6.4%
North Syracuse	65	6,659	9.0%	8.6%
Lockport	66	20,957	11.9%	3.5%
Baldwinsville	67	7,655	9.0%	7.3%
Endicott	68	13,216	11.5%	3.9%
Mount Kisco	69	11,016	17.4%	0.0%
Monroe	70	8,493	8.2%	7.8%
Mineola	71	18,918	15.2%	0.7%
Johnson City	72	14,977	12.1%	2.5%
Saranac Lake	73	6,055	7.7%	8.5%
Rensselaer	74	9,476	11.7%	2.6%
Farmingdale	75	8,306	7.6%	7.6%
Ilion	76	7,968	11.3%	2.7%
Hornell	77	8,508	12.1%	1.9%
Mamaroneck	78	19,133	10.9%	3.0%
Albany	79	98,287	11.1%	2.9%
Cortland	80	19,218	10.7%	2.9%
Solvay	81	6,514	14.8%	0.0%
Beacon	82	14,437	12.1%	1.4%
Chestnut Ridge	83	8,035	7.8%	5.8%
Chittenango	84	5,052	6.5%	7.6%
Amityville	85	9,551	8.0%	4.7%
Depew	86	15,262	8.6%	3.8%
Watervliet	87	10,250	11.1%	1.6%
Plattsburgh	88	19,840	11.7%	0.8%
New Hyde Park	89	9,764	12.1%	0.0%
Tarr	90	11,423	7.9%	4.2%
Kenmore	91	15,334	7.1%	5.3%
Cohoes	92	16,195	11.9%	0.0%
Nyack	93	6,857	11.9%	0.0%
Airmont	94	8,770	11.8%	0.0%
Dobbs Ferry	95	11,001	4.7%	9.1%
Harrison	96	27,822	10.7%	0.7%
Walden	97	6,919	11.4%	0.0%
Valley Stream	98	37,764	11.3%	0.0%
Oneida	99	11,290	11.2%	0.0%
Lindenhurst	100	27,303	10.2%	0.7%
Irvington	101	6,506	6.5%	4.7%
Warwick	102	6,783	8.2%	2.2%
Mechanicville	103	5,207	10.0%	0.0%
Manorhaven	104	6,638	10.0%	0.0%
Canton	105	6,600	9.7%	0.0%
Cedarhurst	106	6,631	9.6%	0.0%
Long Beach	107	33,522	7.9%	1.8%
Potsdam	108	9,577	9.3%	0.0%
Brockport	109	8,398	8.3%	1.3%
Lake Grove	110	11,235	7.4%	2.0%
North Tonawanda	111	31,245	7.9%	1.6%
Oneonta	112	13,906	8.5%	0.6%
Great Neck	113	10,052	9.0%	0.0%
Williamsville	114	5,286	3.3%	6.1%
Kings Point	115	5,076	9.0%	0.0%
Lancaster	116	10,314	5.9%	3.5%
Great Neck Plaza	117	6,823	8.8%	0.0%
New Hempstead	118	5,240	8.4%	0.3%
Lynbrook	119	19,517	7.3%	1.5%
Medina	120	5,962	8.4%	0.0%
East Rochester	121	6,687	8.4%	0.0%
Wesley Hills	122	5,779	6.7%	1.9%
Geneseo	123	8,043	8.2%	0.1%
Hilton	124	5,954	5.0%	3.8%
Port Jefferson	125	7,789	2.0%	7.0%
Suffern	126	10,864	7.0%	1.5%
Pleasantville	127	7,090	5.1%	3.2%
Webster	128	5,528	7.8%	0.0%
Fairport	129	5,364	7.7%	0.0%
Floral Park	130	16,190	5.3%	2.5%
Scotia	131	7,742	4.9%	2.6%
Tuckahoe	132	6,559	7.4%	0.0%
Williston Park	133	7,319	7.3%	0.0%
Saratoga Springs	134	26,998	5.3%	2.0%
Rye Brook	135	9,456	6.9%	0.2%
Babylon	136	12,177	4.7%	2.3%
Pelham	137	6,984	6.7%	0.0%
Hamburg	138	9,482	3.2%	3.0%
Horseheads	139	6,593	6.5%	0.0%
Goshen	140	5,417	6.3%	0.0%
Ithaca	141	30,399	6.2%	0.0%
Washingtonville	142	5,837	6.3%	0.0%
Fredonia	143	10,988	4.4%	1.9%
Corning	144	11,108	6.2%	0.0%
Briarcliff Manor	145	7,783	5.3%	1.1%
East Rockaway	146	9,861	6.1%	0.0%
Sea Cliff	147	5,012	2.8%	2.5%
Canandaigua	148	10,532	6.0%	0.0%
New Paltz	149	6,945	5.5%	0.0%
Ballston Spa	150	5,298	5.3%	0.0%
Malverne	151	8,544	5.1%	0.0%
Bayville	152	6,724	3.9%	0.6%
Colonie	153	7,869	4.8%	0.0%
Rye	154	15,892	2.9%	1.5%
Croton-on-Hudson	155	8,168	4.8%	0.0%
East Aurora	156	6,255	4.8%	0.0%
Woodbury	157	10,638	4.2%	0.0%
Rockville Centre	158	24,128	3.4%	0.0%
Lawrence	159	6,511	3.3%	0.0%
Hastings-on-Hudson	160	7,905	3.3%	0.0%
Massapequa Park	161	17,137	3.0%	0.0%
Garden City	162	22,543	2.4%	0.0%
Northport	163	7,417	2.2%	0.0%
Larchmont	164	5,952	2.2%	0.0%
Pelham Manor	165	5,539	2.0%	0.0%
Scarsdale	166	17,471	1.5%	0.5%
North Hills	167	5,122	1.2%	0.5%
Bronxville	168	6,378	1.7%	0.0%
East Hills	169	7,025	1.4%	0.0%