Alfred (village), New York

Alfred is a village located in the town of Alfred in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 4,026 at the 2020 census.

The village is home to both Alfred University and Alfred State College. In 2023, The Washington Post named it "the collegiest college town in America" due to its high ratio of students to non-students.

Due in part to the New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred has become a hub for ceramic artists and ceramic engineers.





== History ==





=== 19th century ===

The area around Alfred had historically been home to the Seneca tribe. In 1807, three Seventh Day Baptists; Clark Crandall, Nathan Green, and Edward Green, moved to the area with their families, becoming the first of many members of that sect to move to the village and surrounding region.

Alfred's name has traditionally been attributed to Alfred the Great, however that has never been definitively verified. For much of its early history the village of Alfred was known as Alfred Centre.

Alfred became home to an institution of higher education in 1832, when Alfred University was founded.