Albany, NY
Census place 3601000 · pop 100,492
New York's state capital and one of the oldest continuously chartered cities in the U.S., dating to a 1686 charter.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
38.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
919 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.17% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
22.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2998 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
88.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$61,986 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
24.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,630/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
12.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$234,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
32.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
76/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
45.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
36 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is Albany, NY a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Albany scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is homeownership. New York overall ranks #48 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Albany, NY?
- Albany reports 919 violent crimes per 100k and 2998 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Albany, NY expensive to live in?
- Albany has a median home value of $234,700 and typical rent around $1,630/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Albany, NY?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (38.2%) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Albany, NY best at?
- Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (36 AQI) — 86/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: New York's state capital and one of the oldest continuously chartered cities in the U.S., dating to a 1686 charter.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.