Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Syracuse grades D− overall, 734th of 745 graded towns in New York, mostly because of schools and safety. Its schools rank behind 97% of the state's. Its police reported 893 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 96% of U.S. towns. One bright spot: few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 126 places on the National Register. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Syracuse, against 9.5% in New York’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On health, just 44 of New York’s 1,213 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include New Kasson Apartments and Gustav Stickley House.
Where Syracuse beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Syracuse Savings Bank| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Syracuse University | 20,543 |
| Le Moyne College | 3,101 |
| SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 2,668 |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington K-8 School | PK–8 | 934 |
| Hurlbut W Smith K-8 School | PK–8 | 776 |
| Frazer K-8 School | PK–8 | 774 |
Its 126 National Register listings are more than in any other New York town with a listing.
Census counts: 22,271 in 1850, a peak of 220,583 in 1950, 148,620 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1840 and 5 maps from 1895 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Syracuse is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D− for schools (better than 3%), so the D− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Syracuse. Close and well known come first.
in town Stadium & arenaJMA Wireless Dome
5 mi LakeOnondaga Lake
in town Stadium & arenaOncenter War Memorial Arena
in town Stadium & arenaAlliance Bank Stadium
37 mi LakeCayuga Lake
in town MuseumEverson Museum of ArtJMA Wireless Dome: Jimhoward03, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Onondaga Lake: R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oncenter War Memorial Arena: Crazyale, Public domain · Alliance Bank Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Everson Museum of Art: Crazyale, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Syracuse, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Syracuse.
Syracuse draws workers from Clay and beyond, gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
25 miles of trail in 54 parks and preserves. Syracuse’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Burnet Park, at 90 acres.
| Syracuse | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Elmwood Park | 1.8 mi | 33 |
| 2. Thornden Park | 1.6 mi | 76 |
| 3. Upper Onondaga Park | 1.6 mi | 63 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 6 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its D−, DeWitt highest at B+.
Its public schools are run by the Syracuse City School District. Three of its 41 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington K-8 SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 934 | D− |
| Henninger High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,483 | B− |
| Syracuse Academy of Science Charter SchoolTop results in townGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 993 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Property crime runs at 32.1 per 1,000 residents, about twice the New York rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 6,666 to 5,570 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Syracuse is 32.1 per 1,000 residents. Syracuse reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 96% report less. The violent crime rate in Syracuse is 6.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Syracuse | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 32.1 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.1 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
96,658 jobs are based in Syracuse, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
43% of Syracuse working residents work locally. Jobs based in Syracuse grew to 96,658 in 2023, 7,038 more than in 2013. The top destinations are DeWitt (10%), Clay (6%) and Salina (4%).
| Syracuse | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 43% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Home values rose 46% in five years, to about $223K, against 30% across New York. The median property tax bill is $3,210, against $6,582 across New York, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Syracuse home is worth about $223,000, up 5.5% in a year, 57% below the New York typical home. 42% of households own their home in Syracuse.
| Syracuse | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 75% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 55% | 49% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,039 a month | $1,103 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 4,948 U.S. towns with household incomes like Syracuse’s, it is healthier than 51%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. All 6 graded neighbors score healthier than its C−, from East Syracuse (B) to Onondaga (A).
Among 755 New York towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Syracuse. Syracuse beats the New York average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20.
| Syracuse | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Syracuse | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.1% | 7.7% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31.8% | 37.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 15.4% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
28.8% of residents live below the poverty line, against 14% across New York, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income. The median household earns $47,819, against $85,974 across New York.
Adults 18 to 34 are 34% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (39% statewide). Syracuse has lost 2.5% of its people since 2020, down to 144,896 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
| Syracuse | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.8 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 20% | 22% |
51.7% women, 48.3% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 32.2, men 31.6.
| Syracuse | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.4% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 17.8% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.2% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.6% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.8% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.7% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.4% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.5% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.4% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.8% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 93 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Syracuse.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Syracuse Hancock Intl Ap weather station, 5 miles away, records that 128 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. The Syracuse Hancock Intl Ap weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 10 days a year reach 90°: fewer than most of the country, but more than 78% of New York places with climate records.
Syracuse has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82° and January nights drop to 16°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
8 within 15 miles of the center of Syracuse
College town 17 of every 100 Syracuse residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
5 colleges in town.
126 places in Syracuse on the National Register of Historic Places.
29 notable people were born in Syracuse.
City in New York, United States
Syracuse ( SIRR-ə-kewz, SERR-, -kewss) is a city in New York, United States, and the county seat of Onondaga County. With 148,620 residents, and a metropolitan area of 662,057 people, it is the most populous city in Central New York, as well as the fifth-most populated city and 13th-most populated municipality in New York. Formally established in 1820, Syracuse was named after the classical Greek city of Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian), located on the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily, for its similar natural features. Adjacent brine springs made the city a major producer of commercial salt into the late 19th century, earning the nickname "The Salt City"; it subsequently became …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Syracuse.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D−; Solvay (B) is closest.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | #734 | D− | B− | D− | D− | C− |
| Onondaga | #232 | B+ | C | — | B− | A |
| Geddes | #308 | B | B | C+ | C | B+ |
| DeWitt | #285 | B | C+ | C− | B+ | A− |
| Salina | #345 | B | C+ | — | C+ | B |
| Solvay | #350 | B | B | — | C | B |
| Lyncourt | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| East Syracuse | #156 | A− | B+ | — | B− | B |
Onondaga, Salina, Solvay and East Syracuse report no FBI crime data of their own. Lyncourt isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Syracuse with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Syracuse grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #734 of 745 in New York. It grades C− for health, D− for safety and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($75,492 across the Syracuse, NY metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
29 notable people were born here, including Tom Cruise and Robert F. Engle.
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