Places › New York › Binghamton

Living in Binghamton, NY

Small city in New York

Binghamton is a small city in New York, home to about 47,000 people, with 137,000 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 Binghamton a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $192k and rents for $1,410 a month
  • Mild summers: highs around 76°F
  • Dog-friendly: 6 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Low natural disaster risk: 13 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Higher taxes: about $3,080 state income tax per resident, 3% property tax
  • Smaller job market: about 137,000 people live within 31 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Binghamton ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
47,000
137,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
32°F / 76°F
Average daily highs · 87″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$192k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,410/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
93
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,080
State income tax per resident · 3% property tax
Safety
2.1× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
13 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
31%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SYR
70 mi away

Living in Binghamton: common questions

What is the cost of living in Binghamton?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $192k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,410 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 93, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Binghamton?

New York collects about $3,080 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 3% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Binghamton safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.1× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Binghamton?

Binghamton has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 32°F and summer days around 76°F, with roughly 87″ of snow a year.

Does Binghamton get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding: 13 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.32 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Binghamton?

The nearest major airport is SYR, about 70 mi away.

How Binghamton scores

Each bar compares Binghamton 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).

🏙️City size Small town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Urban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Walk & transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Long, snowy winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Moderate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Private AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Poor
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Below average
🎓Education Below average
🧸Kids & family Poor
🐕Dog-friendly Good
⛰️Outdoors Good
🎭Culture Below average
🛡️Safety Higher crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Good
☀️Sunny Poor
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Good

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Is Binghamton right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.