20 Most Affordable Places To Live in New York – Charm

New York is home to more affordable locales than you may realize. A new in-house GOBankingRates study has uncovered 20 places where the cost of living is just under $37,000 annually. And some of these cities include popular tourist destinations.

For this study, GOBankingRates studied New York cities with a 5,000 total population (minimum) and calculated the total cost of living using each metro’s average mortgage and expenditure costs. Additional information sourced included the median household income, average value of a single-family home and livability score.

Ranked from lowest to highest cost of living, these 20 cities are among New York’s most affordable. Also, see which places ranked as New York’s most expensive cities.

1. Jamestown

Median household income: $44,878
Single family home average value: $121,082
Average monthly mortgage cost: $670
Total cost of living annually: $30,167

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2. Ogdensburg

Median household income: $59,306
Single family home average value: $108,962
Average monthly mortgage cost: $603
Total cost of living annually: $30,515

3. Hornell

Median household income: $46,321
Single family home average value: $109,141
Average monthly mortgage cost: $604
Total cost of living annually: $30,686

4. Massena

Median household income: $48,810
Single family home average value: $115,826
Average monthly mortgage cost: $640
Total cost of living annually: $31,082

5. Dunkirk

Median household income: $49,003
Single family home average value: $130,453
Average monthly mortgage cost: $721
Total cost of living annually: $31,195

6. Elmira

Median household income: $43,089
Single family home average value: $121,602
Average monthly mortgage cost: $672
Total cost of living annually: $32,110

7. Ilion

Median household income: $61,880
Single family home average value: $150,633
Average monthly mortgage cost: $833
Total cost of living annually: $34,786

8. Potsdam

Median household income: $32,061
Single family home average value: $173,305
Average monthly mortgage cost: $958
Total cost of living annually: $35,107

9. Niagara Falls

Median household income: $48,535
Single family home average value: $166,790
Average monthly mortgage cost: $922
Total cost of living annually: $35,193

10. Binghamton

Median household income: $44,331
Single family home average value: $180,308
Average monthly mortgage cost: $997
Total cost of living annually: $35,783

11. Gloversville

Median household income: $49,155
Single family home average value: $169,875
Average monthly mortgage cost: $939
Total cost of living annually: $35,898

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12. Medina

Median household income: $63,972
Single family home average value: $170,202
Average monthly mortgage cost: $941
Total cost of living annually: $36,119

13. Batavia

Median household income: $57,150
Single family home average value: $193,682
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,071
Total cost of living annually: $36,184

14. Canton

Median household income: $62,438
Single family home average value: $185,615
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,026
Total cost of living annually: $36,290

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15. Watertown

Median household income: $49,692
Single family home average value: $194,853
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,077
Total cost of living annually: $36,361

16. Fredonia

Median household income: $47,694
Single family home average value: $206,537
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,142
Total cost of living annually: $36,408

17. Fulton

Median household income: $52,123
Single family home average value: $175,129
Average monthly mortgage cost: $968
Total cost of living annually: $36,434

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18. Cortland

Median household income: $55,368
Single family home average value: $197,384
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,091
Total cost of living annually: $36,514

19. Seneca Falls

Median household income: $54,429
Single family home average value: $199,334
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,102
Total cost of living annually: $36,579

20. Endicott

Median household income: $46,685
Single family home average value: $191,856
Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,061
Total cost of living annually: $36,996

Dive into more original studies and surveys in the GOBankingRates original research center.

Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. In many cases, the closest major city outside of the city/county mentioned in the article was used.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities in New York state to find the most affordable places to live. Cities in New York were identified using the U.S. Census 2023 5-Year ACS. To qualify for this study, the city had to have at least 5,000 total population. The total population, population ages 65 and over, total households and median household income were sourced from the U.S. Census 2023 5-Year ACS. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and by using the national average expenditure costs, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure cost can be calculated for each city. The average single-family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index. Assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage can be calculated. Using the average mortgage and expenditure cost, the total cost of living can be calculated. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes and included as supplemental information. The cities were then sorted to show the lowest cost of living first, representing the most affordable places to live in New York state. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Dec. 3, 2025.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Most Affordable Places To Live in New York

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