Should I Move To
Roughly 68,476 people live in Schenectady, New York. Living here costs moderate relative to the rest of the country, essentially matching the national average. Median rent runs about $1,038/mo; the typical household pulls in $54,650. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 52/100 — a C-, putting it at #396 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Schenectady sits at 102 — moderate when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,038/mo against $54,650 median household income), housing eats roughly 23% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $140,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is cold-winter: roughly 77°F in summer, 20°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 48 inches. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential. AQI runs about 33 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Schenectady isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 47/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (94/100); the soft spot is job market (5/100).
For retirees, Schenectady is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 58/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (94/100); the soft spot is job market (5/100).
For remote workers, Schenectady is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 62/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (94/100); the soft spot is job market (5/100).
For young professionals, Schenectady isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 41/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (94/100); the soft spot is job market (5/100).
Our overall score for Schenectady is 52/100 — a C-, sitting at #396 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Schenectady sits at 102 — moderate, essentially matching the national average. Median renter pays around $1,038 a month.
Schenectady runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 77°F, winter's near 20°F; 48 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 79/100. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential.
Roughly 68,476 people live here, with 23% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 36.
Drop Schenectady into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Schenectady with other New York cities scored on UrbRank.
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