City comparison
Albany, NY is about 80 miles (125 km) from Utica, NY in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Albany, NY to Utica, NY takes about 9 min, covering roughly 80 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Albany has a population of 99,692, vs 64,728 in Utica — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Albany covers about 21 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Utica.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Albany | Utica | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,130/mo | $873/mo | 29.4% higher in Albany |
| Median home value | $213,400 | $123,800 | 72.4% higher in Albany |
| Median household income | $54,736 | $48,212 | 13.5% higher in Albany |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 99.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 130.9 | 129.0 | 1.5% higher in Albany |
| Transportation index | 97.6 | 97.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Albany, you'd need $85,375 in Utica to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Utica, NY is about 14.6% cheaper overall than Albany, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 53% higher in Albany than in Utica. If you earn $80,000 in Albany, you'd need about $68,300 in Utica to keep the same standard of living.