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Living in Utica, NY

Small city in New York

Utica is a small city in New York, home to about 64,000 people, with 194,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Utica a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $214k and rents for $1,410 a month
  • Mild summers: highs around 78°F
  • Low natural disaster risk: 12 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby

👎 Cons

  • Smaller job market: about 194,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Fewer graduates: 22% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Higher taxes: about $3,080 state income tax per resident, 2.38% property tax

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

Key facts

Population
64,000
194,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
32°F / 78°F
Average daily highs · 164″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$214k
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 · 2.38% property tax
Safety
1.6× 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)
Adults with a degree
22%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SYR
44 mi away

Living in Utica: common questions

What is the cost of living in Utica?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $214k, 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 Utica?

New York collects about $3,080 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.38% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Utica safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (1.6× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Utica?

Utica has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 32°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 164″ of snow a year.

Does Utica 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 Utica?

The nearest major airport is SYR, about 44 mi away.

How Utica scores

Each bar compares Utica 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 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 Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Moderate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Private AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Poor
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Average
🎓Education Poor
🧸Kids & family Poor
🐕Dog-friendly Poor
⛰️Outdoors Good
🎭Culture Below average
🛡️Safety Moderate crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Excellent
☀️Sunny Poor
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Average

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Is Utica 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.