Living in Schenectady, NY
Small city in New York
Schenectady is a small city in New York, home to about 69,000 people, with 548,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Schenectady a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 82°F
- Low natural disaster risk: 10 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $312k and rents for $2,040 a month
- Easy flying: ALB is 7 mi away
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $3,080 state income tax per resident, 3.24% property tax
- Cloudier than most places
- Smaller job market: about 548,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Schenectady ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Schenectady: common questions
What is the cost of living in Schenectady?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $312k, 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 Schenectady?
New York collects about $3,080 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 3.24% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Schenectady safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.1× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Schenectady?
Schenectady has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 36°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 59″ of snow a year.
Does Schenectady 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 0.26 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Schenectady?
The nearest major airport is ALB, about 7 mi away.
How Schenectady scores
Each bar compares Schenectady 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 Schenectady right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.