CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.83° N · 73.96° W · GEOID 3665893

Scotia

Schenectady County, New York · part of the Albany, NY metro

New YorkScotia, NYScotiaScotia

The short answer

Scotia is home to 7,264 people. Median household income is $76,525 a year and median rent is $1,031 a month, 16.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $189,900, about 2.5x annual median household income.

Scotia's housing market sets it apart. Homeowners pay a median of about 2.7% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 97% of places its size. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 16.6 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 96% of places its size.

88OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Scotia scores better than 88% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 32nd of 340 in New York.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%87
Economy 20%40
Safety 20%74
Amenities 15%67
Education 10%62
Commute 10%64
Growth 5%59
Median gross rent
$1,031
24% below the median place
Median household income
$76,525
5% below the median place
Median home value
$189,900
41% below the median place
Unemployment
5.8%
18% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Scotia

Schenectady County gains about 0.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in7,028
Moved out6,926
Net+102

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Albany County, NY1,8451,591+254
Saratoga County, NY8251,037−212
Queens County, NY559121+438
Kings County, NY20677+129
Schoharie County, NY122111+11

Within New York, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New YorkOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$61K
Leavers$67K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Schenectady County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Schenectady County report $60,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $66,900, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$41,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,031 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,533 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $189,900.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 19.0% work from home; 2.9% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Audubon, NJ matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.4%
23% below the median place
Income of households moving in8
$60,543
14% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.5%
23% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureScotiaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.4%23% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.5%23% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure0.8above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$60,54314% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$66,8575% below
02

What it costs to live here

Half the homes were built before 1942, older housing than in 96% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.

Scotia16.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$41,240
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.2%
21% below the median place
Home price to income
2.5x
35% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$65,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Scotia, $1,031 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.0 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Scotia, but easier on the budget

Places that match Scotia on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Audubon, NJ8713.4% vs 16.2%$35,100Compare
Hamburg, NY8611.7% vs 16.2%$35,400Compare
Morrisville, PA8512.6% vs 16.2%$21,800Compare
Pleasant Hills, PA8413.5% vs 16.2%$24,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Scotia.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Scotia? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
2.7%
197% above the median place
Median year built1
1942
2% below the median place
Median home value1
$189,900
41% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureScotiaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,03124% below
Rent to income116.2%21% below
Property tax rate12.7%197% above
Home price to income12.5x35% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure99.61% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,7116% above
HUD area median income4County figure$123,10015% above
Property tax paid (median)1$5,11957% above
Median home value1$189,90041% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.2%30% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure57.3%11% above
Homeownership174.5%12% above
Renters paying 30%+154.4%7% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,53318% below
Vacant homes1County figure6.1%14% below
Median year built119422% below
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 4.9%, 55% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
4.9%
55% below the median place
Works from home1
19.0%
53% above the median place
Mean commute1
23 min
8% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureScotiaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$76,5255% below
Income per person1$45,89515% above
Unemployment1County figure5.8%18% above
Average annual pay6County figure$75,69415% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.6%30% below
Jobs6County figure60,18360% below
Poverty rate14.9%55% below
Mean commute123 min8% below
Works from home119.0%53% above
Commutes by transit1County figure2.9%240% above
04

Who lives here

3% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 89% of the 1,842 places under 10,000 people we track.

Household size1
2.1
14% below the median place
Born abroad1
2.7%
69% below the median place
High school or higher1
94.4%
2% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher38.1% +19%
Homes with broadband92.7% +0%
Median age39.1 +0%
All 9 people measures
MeasureScotiaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17,2645278th largest
Population change since 202070.5%53% below
Median age139.10% above
Bachelor's or higher138.1%19% above
High school or higher194.4%2% above
Household size12.114% below
Born abroad12.7%69% below
No health insurance1County figure3.1%52% below
Homes with broadband192.7%0% above
05

Life in Scotia

Public schools here have 10.8 students per teacher, fewer than in 90% of the 1,648 places under 10,000 people we track.

2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • US Post Office-Scotia Station listed 1989
  • Glen, Abraham, House listed 2004

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents5.5 −46%
Playgrounds per 10k8.3 −12%
Grocery stores per 10k2.8 +30%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k30.3 2.7×
Libraries per 10k2.8 3.2×
Named paths and bike trails1 km −70%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi16.6 79.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Saratoga National Historical Park 20 miles
  • Martin Van Buren National Historic Site 35 miles
  • Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site 72 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.7 −0%
Shops26.9 −11%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.6 −12%
Doctors' offices and clinics12.0 −41%
Child care centers3.1 +35%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher14
10.8
30% below the median place
Public school students14
2,572
47% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
20.0
35% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureScotiaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14722% below
Public school students142,57247% below
Students per teacher1410.830% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure20.70% below
Shops per 10k9County figure26.911% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.612% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure12.041% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure3.135% above
Parks per 10k105.546% below
Playgrounds per 10k108.312% below
Grocery stores per 10k102.830% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1030.3172% above
Libraries per 10k102.8216% above
Named paths and bike trails100.670% below
Transit stops per sq mi1016.6above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1120.035% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1120% above
National Register listings12285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 95, 50% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
95
50% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
763
37% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

January average low15
13°F
47% below the median place
Wildfire risk16
21.5
65% below the median place
Average temperature15
47°F
14% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureScotiaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure82°F6% below
January average low15County figure13°F47% below
Average temperature15County figure47°F14% below
Annual precipitation15County figure41.2 in6% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure71.323% below
Hurricane risk16County figure75.77% above
Tornado risk16County figure70.713% below
Wildfire risk16County figure21.565% below
Heat wave risk16County figure57.137% below
Median air quality index17Metro figure415% below
Good air days17Metro figure67.7%1% below
08

Scotia in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Scotia does better than 87% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 16%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,031/mo (2024)$1,310/mo$1,080 to $1,600/mo+4.1%
Median household income$76,525 (2024)$97,000$82,000 to $115,000+4.0%
Median home value$189,900 (2024)$266,000$193,000 to $366,000+5.8%
Population7,295 (2025)7,3707,070 to 7,680+0.2%

The median home would be worth 2.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Scotia

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Cuyahoga Falls, OH$1,038$72,705Compare
Pierre, SD$983$77,672Compare
Neenah, WI$1,006$75,374Compare
Sherwood, AR$1,101$81,328Compare
Sherwood, ARNeenah, WIPierre, SDCuyahoga Falls, OHScotia, NYScotiaCuyahoga FallsPierreNeenahSherwoodScotiaCuyahoga FallsPierreNeenahSherwood

Places built like Scotia

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Scotia performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Scotia, NY16.2%5.9%/yr0.5%
New Cumberland, PA14.3%4.4%/yr0.8%Compare
Pitman, NJ18.5%5.3%/yr2.0%Compare
Catasauqua, PA14.5%7.4%/yr1.1%Compare
Kenmore, NY16.7%2.7%/yr-2.6%Compare
Mechanicsburg, PA15.4%8.7%/yr8.3%Compare
Lansdowne, PA21.4%5.7%/yr0.4%Compare

Common questions

Is Scotia a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 88 out of 100, better than 88% of the places we rate and 32nd of 340 in New York. On cost, space and class size it scores 91 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Scotia expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $189,900.

What salary do you need to live in Scotia?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $41,240 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Scotia safe?

There were 95 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Scotia?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Pierre, SD, Neenah, WI and Sherwood, AR.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Scotia with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Scotia itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/scotia-new-york

Citytistics. “Scotia, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/scotia-new-york/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.