Places › New York › Niagara Falls

Living in Niagara Falls, NY

Suburb in New York

Niagara Falls is a suburb in New York, home to about 48,000 people, with 751,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Niagara Falls a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $181k and rents for $1,640 a month
  • Easy flying: BUF is 18 mi away
  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
  • Mild summers: highs around 80°F

👎 Cons

  • Cloudier than most places
  • Higher taxes: about $3,080 state income tax per resident, 2.55% property tax
  • Smaller job market: about 751,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 23% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher

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

Key facts

Population
48,000
751,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
36°F / 80°F
Average daily highs · 72″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$181k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,640/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
96
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,080
State income tax per resident · 2.55% property tax
Safety
2.4× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
10 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
23%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
BUF
18 mi away

Living in Niagara Falls: common questions

What is the cost of living in Niagara Falls?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $181k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,640 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 96, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Niagara Falls?

New York collects about $3,080 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.55% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Niagara Falls safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.4× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Niagara Falls?

Niagara Falls has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 36°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 72″ of snow a year.

Does Niagara Falls get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.17 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Niagara Falls?

The nearest major airport is BUF, about 18 mi away.

How Niagara Falls scores

Each bar compares Niagara Falls 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 city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Urban & suburban mix Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly walkable 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 Affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Moderate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Friendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Apartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Poor
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Good
🎓Education Poor
🧸Kids & family Below average
🐕Dog-friendly Good
⛰️Outdoors Excellent
🎭Culture Average
🛡️Safety Higher crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Excellent
☀️Sunny Poor
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Excellent

Places like Niagara Falls

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.

Nearby

See all the best places to live in New York.

Is Niagara Falls right for you?

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

Take the free quiz →

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.