Glens Falls cost of living
Prices in the Glens Falls, NY metro area run at 94.9 against a national average of 100, ranking it #169 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 76.2.
What drives the number
Prices in Glens Falls run at 94.9 where the national average is 100, so about 5.1 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #169 of 387 metro areas. Against New York as a whole it is 13 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 76.2 against goods at 99.7 and other services at 133.8, so the overall figure of 94.9 understates how affordable the housing itself is. It is the opposite of the usual pattern, where housing is what makes a place expensive.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 5.1 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Glens Falls is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 1,860 | $34,240 | $36,080 | $34,580 |
| Cashiers | 1,330 | $31,720 | $33,425 | $31,190 |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,140 | $96,100 | $101,264 | $102,950 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,080 | $36,570 | $38,535 | $34,900 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,060 | $33,160 | $34,942 | $30,480 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,030 | $42,190 | $44,457 | $33,760 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,000 | $101,710 | $107,176 | $93,600 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 970 | $35,470 | $37,376 | $35,930 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 94.9.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | 112.6 | 148.6 | #5 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | 109.4 | 115.8 | #13 |
| Ithaca | 103.3 | 128.4 | #43 |
| Kingston | 100.7 | 110.2 | #76 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | 99.6 | 102.6 | #94 |
| Rochester | 97.0 | 87.5 | #129 |
Glens Falls: common questions
Is Glens Falls expensive?
Prices are 5.1% below the national average, a parity of 94.9 where the country is 100. It ranks #169 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against New York as a whole it is 13 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Glens Falls?
The median worker there earns $48,360, which buys what $50,959 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 76.2 against goods at 99.7. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.