Places › New York › Rome

Living in Rome, NY

Small city in New York

Rome is a small city in New York, home to about 32,000 people, with 210,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Rome a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $212k and rents for $1,410 a month
  • Mild summers: highs around 79°F
  • Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.4× the US rate (FBI 2019)

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Smaller job market: about 210,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 21% 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 Rome ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
32,000
210,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
33°F / 79°F
Average daily highs · 164″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$212k
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
0.4× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
12 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, cold waves
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 13 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
21%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SYR
32 mi away

Living in Rome: common questions

What is the cost of living in Rome?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $212k, 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 Rome?

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 Rome safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.4× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Rome?

Public schools in Rome test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 13 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Rome?

Rome has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 33°F and summer days around 79°F, with roughly 164″ of snow a year.

Does Rome get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and cold waves: 12 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.36 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Rome?

The nearest major airport is SYR, about 32 mi away.

How Rome scores

Each bar compares Rome with the other 1,990 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 sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateLong, snowy winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesPoor
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareAverage
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyBelow average
🐕Dog-friendlyAverage
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyPoor
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportGood

Places like Rome

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Superior, WISmall city50 $248k$1,690/moSafe Manitowoc, WISmall city52 $238k$1,170/moVery safe Pittsfield, MASmall city45 $311k$2,110/moModerate crime Lewiston, MESmall city44 $304k$2,050/moSafe Union, NYSmall city45 $157k$1,410/moNo crime data Salina, NYSmall city49 $174k$1,690/moNo crime data

Nearby

Utica, NYSmall city · 16 mi away38 $214k$1,410/moModerate crime Manlius, NYCollege town · 27 mi away60 $283k$1,690/moVery safe Cicero, NYSmall city · 29 mi away62 $238k$1,690/moVery safe Salina, NYSmall city · 35 mi away49 $174k$1,690/moNo crime data Syracuse, NYMid-size city · 35 mi away43 $217k$1,690/moHigher crime Clay, NYSmall city · 35 mi away59 $222k$1,690/moNo crime data

See all the best places to live in New York.

Is Rome 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.