Oswego, NY

Census place 3655574 · pop 17,033

D52/ 100
😐 Meh
D
in NY
📍 New York ranks #48 of 50 states →
🏆 Disaster29/100 · top 4%
🚽 Prop tax2.79% · bottom 2%
Taxes
2.79% property · US 0.99%8.54% sales · US 7.00%up to 10.90% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Property-tax burden2.79%2

U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities

2.79% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Homeownership50.2%15

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

50.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Population growth (5yr)-2.5%16

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-2.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Poverty rate20.6%16

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

20.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Median household income$53,17217

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$53,172 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Physical inactivity29.3%29

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

29.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Poor mental health18.4%31

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

18.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Adult smoking15.3%31

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

15.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.1%32

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Income inequality0.4537

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Bachelor's degree or higher26.1%40

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

26.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult obesity36.4%40

U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities

36.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Broadband access91.0%45

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

91.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Rent$1,428/mo74

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,428/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Uninsured adults6.9%77

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

6.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Commute time19 min84

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 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.

Air quality (AQI)County-level32 AQI92

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

32 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Housing cost$120,60093

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$120,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level29/10096

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

29/100 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.

Not measured for Oswego: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Oswego, NY a good place to live?
By the numbers, Oswego scores 52/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is property-tax burden. 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.
Is Oswego, NY expensive to live in?
Oswego has a median home value of $120,600 and typical rent around $1,428/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Oswego, NY?
Its weakest measured area is property-tax burden (2.79%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Oswego, NY best at?
Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (29/100) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.