Syracuse cost of living
Prices in the Syracuse, NY metro area run at 95.7 against a national average of 100, ranking it #153 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 80.7.
What drives the number
Prices in Syracuse run at 95.7 where the national average is 100, so about 4.3 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #153 of 387 metro areas. Against New York as a whole it is 12.2 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 80.7 against goods at 99.7 and other services at 133.4, so the overall figure of 95.7 understates how affordable the housing itself is. Services, which are priced by local wages, are what hold the overall number up.
Low prices only help if pay does not fall by more. Dividing the local median wage by 95.7 is how to check, and the wage pages carry that comparison.
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 Syracuse 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 | 7,940 | $34,320 | $35,862 | $34,580 |
| Registered Nurses | 7,520 | $83,920 | $87,691 | $93,600 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,490 | $36,510 | $38,150 | $34,900 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 7,070 | $33,910 | $35,434 | $30,480 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 6,440 | $38,530 | $40,261 | $37,090 |
| Cashiers | 6,130 | $32,000 | $33,438 | $31,190 |
| General and Operations Managers | 6,110 | $103,210 | $107,847 | $102,950 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 5,900 | $36,800 | $38,454 | $35,930 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 95.7.
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 |
Syracuse: common questions
Is Syracuse expensive?
Prices are 4.3% below the national average, a parity of 95.7 where the country is 100. It ranks #153 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against New York as a whole it is 12.2 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Syracuse?
The median worker there earns $50,800, which buys what $53,083 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 80.7 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.