2 Of NY’s 5 Cheapest Towns Are In Upstate – Do You Live In One?

It’s not a contest we particularly want to win, but New York is the second most expensive state in America, right behind Hawaii. The average cost of living index for the Empire State is 148 – almost 50% above the nation’s average.

Of course, most of this dubious honor is directly related to NYC. Once you leave the city and head Upstate or west, then rent, groceries, and gas fall off dramatically. But with bills and inflation what they are, maybe you’re looking for the cities in New York where you can really stretch a dollar. If so, you’re in luck – two of the top five are in Upstate.

Based off of data collected by Nasdaq and doxo, they rounded up the five cheapest cities in New York state. They based their data off of the average monthly cost of housing, utilities, cable, satellite, insurance, and phone service.

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Here are the three cities in the top five that are in Central New York and Western NY:

Hornell

Hornell is the state’s cheapest city. It’s a historic city with a big railroad past and is great for craft beer lovers. It’s also great for homeowners: the average mortgage payment is $757. Hornell also has some of New York’s lowest health insurance rates.

Norwich

Norwich is home to a cool classic car museum, and it must blend over to other parts of town – the city isn’t saving cash on car insurance. Mortgage payments stay low and internet is very affordable, though.

Niagara Falls

The Canadian side may have better views, but the American side has a surprisingly great cost of living. For a world-famous city, you can still get by on $1,450 per month. Chalk that up to more low housing costs, even with slightly higher groceries and utilities.

Here are the two cities in the top five that are in Upstate:

Oneida

On the border of where Upstate meets CNY, Oneida has small town charm and smaller living expenses. In their dedication to tiny size, it even has the world’s smallest church (29 square feet) in the middle of a pond. The average cost of living in Oneida for a month is $1,395. The vast majority of rental units and homes are available for under $1,000.

Ogdensburg

If you like UP Upstate and low cost of living, Ogdensburg is for you. It’s on the St. Lawrence River and has lots of nature to explore. Renters have it pretty good here with a $638/month average, but expect some savings to be eaten up by winter utility costs. The cold’s no joke.