Syracuse ranks as 222nd most expensive city in New York
Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer / The Daily Orange
Syracuse residents spend $1,903 monthly on housing and utilities. Despite below the state average, costs remain high, consuming 41% of local incomes.
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The city of Syracuse had the 222nd-highest annual household bills in New York state in 2024, with $1,903 spent monthly on housing and utilities per household, according to a Doxo report. Syracuse’s cost of living was 28% lower than the state average.
The report, which lists 267 municipalities in total, estimates Syracuse household bills cost 10% less than the national average until adjusting for the city’s average annual income of $55,845, which soars the figure to 20% above average. When excluding mortgage and rent, housing prices spike to 31% higher than the state mean.
According to the report, Syracuse residents spend 41% of their income on housing expenses. It also states Syracuse is the only city in Onondaga County that spends more than 40% of its annual earnings on household bills.
Residents also spend a monthly average of $430 on utility bills, which includes fees covering electricity, gas, water, sewage, garbage and recycling. This is higher than the United States average of $362, and still higher than New York state’s $405 average.
In Onondaga County, the average cost of household bills is 3% below the national level when adjusting for income and excluding mortgage and rent costs, according to the report.
Within the county, Syracuse and East Syracuse are the only urban areas where the average cost of household bills is higher than the national average. While Syracuse’s costs are 31% higher, East Syracuse’s are only 1% higher.
Syracuse residents also spend 9% more of their income on household bills compared to the rest of the county.
When asked about the state’s cost of living this year, including Syracuse’s expensive utilities, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s made combating high prices a top priority for her administration.
At her State of the State address Tuesday, Hocul said her $25 billion five-year housing program is ahead of schedule while encouraging state and federal agencies to invest in affordable housing. The program would help build and preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York.
Hochul also committed to a middle-class income tax cut that will save taxpayers roughly $1 billion annually, dropping New York taxes to its lowest rates in seven decades.
Published on January 15, 2025 at 10:27 pm
Contact Henry: hdaley@syr.edu
