One of the Best Small Cities in America Is Located in Upstate NY (2024)

A new study that compared over 1,300 cities across the country has named roughly two dozen from New York among America's best.

Roughly 20 million people call New York State their home, minus the slightly over 8 million living in the Big Apple.

BecauseNew York City accounts for almost half the state's population, it plays a large role in how the stateperforms in terms ofaffordability and economy.

ryandeberardinisphotos

That's why some react in shock when other cities from the Empire State are found to be some of the most affordableand retirement-friendly places in the country.

Read More:Five Cities in New York Rank Among the Cheapest Places to Live

In fact, the Economic Policy Institute found living in a small city in New York is very affordable, with an average family of four spending about $7,000 a month on their cost of living.

In New York City, that same family would pay as much as $13,300.

Now WalletHub ispoking holes in New York being a cost-prohibitive state with its updated list of America's best small cities.

This year, 21 municipalities in the Empire State were among the upper echelons of the national roundup.

These 21 New York Cities Made WalletHub's 2024 list of 'Best Small Cities in America'

Are you living in one of America's best small cities? WalletHub compared over 1,300 small cities nationwide to find out which are the best and worst in the country.

Nearly two dozen cities in New York made the upper crust of the list and one of them even made the top 99th percentile in the entire country - tying at #1!

Find out if your hometown made the cut!

Gallery Credit: WalletHub

On the other hand, some New York cities were not only deemed worst in the state, but in the country.

Here's the five cities that achieved the worst scores in the WalletHub report:

5. Watertown
4. Hempstead
3. Newburgh
2. Coram
1. Spring Valley

All cities ranked below the 25th percentile, with Spring Valley obtaining the lowest score in the state. The Rockland County village ranked in the 5th percentile.

Daniel Case

So how did WalletHub create its annual list?

Cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents were compared across 45 key indicators in the annual roundup. Some categories included school system quality to the variety of available restaurants.

The ranking was inspired by an Ipsos report that found a third of Americans, or roughly 31%, dream of living in the suburbs compared to just 16% saying they'd prefer the urban areas.

About 24% of the population, or one in four Americans, prefer rural communities.

BanksPhotos from Getty Images Signature

Looking further into the data, WalletHub found that West Islip and Levittown had the 1st and 5th-most highest home ownership rates in the country.

Newburgh, which made the 18th percentile and obtained the third-lowest score in the state, was found to have the most restaurants per capita, putting it in league with Key West, FL, and Fredericksburg, VA.

On the other hand, Irondequoit and Brighton had the 1st and 5th-least restaurants per capita in the country.

If you're curious to see how other small cities in the Empire State performed in this latest report, check out the interactive map below.

Source: WalletHub

One of the Best Small Cities in America Is Located in Upstate NY (1)

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27 of the Most Magnificent Landmarks Seen in Upstate New York

I've lived here my entire life, and I'm not sure I realized how beautiful the Empire State is. There's no shortage of stunning landscapes and breathtaking views throughout the great State of New York, especially this time of year!

It doesn't matter where you live, or where you travel, New York residents are never far from a gorgeous beach, a picturesque state park, or an awe-inspiring mountain.

In 2018, a photographer named Demetri Andritsakis made a 3-and-a-half-minute drone video called "Upstate New York By Air" that highlighted many of New York's breathtaking views.

Andritsakis submitted it to the 2018 New York State Fair Drone Film Festival, and deservedly so, he received a Gold Medal honor for his aerial work throughout upstate New York.

From the Adirondacks to the Catskills, Albany to Buffalo, and everything worth seeing, check out these spectacular pictures featuring 27 of the most magnificent landmarks in Upstate New York.

Gallery Credit: Brian Cody TSM Albany

A Walk Down Memory Lane To Old Time Upstate NY Theme Parks

Gallery Credit: Chuck DImperio

One of the Best Small Cities in America Is Located in Upstate NY (2024)

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