Living in Albany, NY
Small city in New York
Albany is a small city in New York, home to about 100,000 people, with 539,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Albany a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Low natural disaster risk: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Mild summers: highs around 82°F
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $328k and rents for $2,040 a month
- Easy flying: ALB is 6 mi away
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $3,080 state income tax per resident, 2.35% property tax
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Smaller job market: about 539,000 people live within 31 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Albany ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Albany: common questions
What is the cost of living in Albany?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $328k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,040 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 100, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Albany?
New York collects about $3,080 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.35% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Albany safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.0× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Albany?
Albany has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 36°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 56″ of snow a year.
Does Albany get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.31 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Albany?
The nearest major airport is ALB, about 6 mi away.
How Albany scores
Each bar compares Albany with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Albany right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.