Money.com published its annual list of the fifty best places to live in the United States, and two New York communities made the cut.
The list called the 50 municipalities ‘the blueprint for the future’ and examined cities for and including:
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Have a healthy labor market;
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What the average costs are for homeowners and renters;
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The percentage of residents living in poverty; And
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The quality of public schools, among other factors.
Suggestions from readers were also taken into account, as well as several studies from various public policy and advocacy groups.
Oneonta
Oneonta was named 22nd in the unranked list. “The city boasts affordable housing prices, exposed rock walls and a minor league baseball team,” Money notes.
The unemployment rate in February was 5.10%, compared to 5.30% the month before and 4.40% last year. The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce says employers in that county, of which Oneonta is a part, consistently give Otsego one of the lowest unemployment rates in central New York.
Major employers in Oneonta include the two colleges, SUNY College at Oneonta and Hartwick College, as well as AO Fox Hospital and the city government. Springbrook, which provides developmental disability services, is based in Oneonta, as are The Arc Otsego, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Opportunities for Otsego, a community action agency. Corning Incorporated also has a Life Sciences office in the city.
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As of March 2024, the average price of a home in the city was $249,900, while the average sales price was $274,000, according to Realtor.com. The website also notes that Oneonta is currently a buyer’s market, with supply exceeding housing demand.
Troy
Closer to the Hudson Valley is Troy, listed as 35th on the unranked list. States Money: “This emerging city on the Hudson celebrates art and architecture in equal measure.”
For the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan area, the unemployment rate was 4% in February, compared to 3.80% the month before and 3.30% last year. “For more than three decades, the region’s unemployment rate has never been above the national average,” the Center for Economic Growth said in an August 2022 economic profile of the area.
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The Center also notes that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Research and Development Center, along with others in the Capital Region, helps local businesses maintain their competitive advantage in the global marketplace. DLC Electric and the United Group of Companies, the latter a commercial real estate development and management company, both headquartered in Troy, were among the Capital Region’s 63 best places to work in an April 2023 ranking.
As of March 2024, the average sales price of a home in the city was $250,000, while the median sales price was $205,000, according to Realtor.com. The website also notes that Troy is currently a seller’s market, with more people looking to buy than there are homes available.
This article originally appeared in Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Best places to live in the US: These New York cities made the list
