Minerva is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 773 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. The town has a highly irregular polygonal shape. It is located in the southwestern corner of the county. By road, it is 40 miles (64 km) north-northwest of Queensbury, 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Burlington, Vermont, 88 miles (142 km) south of Plattsburgh, 93 miles (150 km) north of Albany, and 147 miles (237 km) south of Montreal, Quebec.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code12851

Area code518

Living in Minerva

Work & commute in Minerva

Full picture →

Most working residents leave Minerva for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Newcomb (15%), Johnsburg (9%) and Chester (5%). Half commute less than 23 miles.

Newcomb

15%

Johnsburg

Chester

Elizabethtown

9%Work in townlive and work in Minerva 23 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 97Jobs based herea commuter town

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Minerva →

Health in Minerva

Compared with New York

9better than NY·6worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 17 are too close to call.

Conditions 6▼ 6 close Habits all close Care 4▲ 3 close Mind 1▲ 4 close Everyday needs 4▲ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

8.8%Fewer adults facing housing insecurityNY 14.5% · better 10.6%Fewer adults facing food insecurityNY 17.2% · better 12.8%More adults who have had cancerNY 7.7% · worse

Care nearby

Adirondack Medical Center - Saranac LakeSaranac Lake · 33.8 mi · ER

Indian Lake Health CenterIndian Lake · 8.9 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · ZIP codes 12851, 12857, 12852 · CMS · HRSAHealth in Minerva →

Natural hazards in Minerva

High

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🏔️ Avalanches⛰️ Landslides

0Does Minerva flood?no paid flood claims on record 4Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Minerva MapMinerva vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Minerva →

Climate in Minerva

Full climate →

Minerva has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 102 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

28° / 9°Winter

50° / 28°Spring

73° / 51°Summer

54° / 35°Fall

How much snow does Minerva get?About 102 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Sep 27, with the last in spring around May 23.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.5° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Minerva →

Schools in Minerva

All Minerva schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Minerva’s kids attend trail 74% of New York’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

DistrictMINERVA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICTSchools1

Minerva Central School C+Other · Grades PK–12 · 104 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results, graded within NY. Ratings are from neighbors.