Best PlacesCentral State, Schenectady, NY Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Central State, Schenectady, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Central State, Schenectady ranks 4,511th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on few empty homes by a wide margin, and internet speeds rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Central State, Schenectady
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Central State, Schenectady's strengths and weaknesses
Where Central State, Schenectady ranks high
- Low vacancyBetter than 97% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than 90% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 82% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 76% of neighborhoods
Where Central State, Schenectady ranks low
- Internet speedBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than only 3% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than only 14% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Central State, Schenectady
A household needs to earn about $49,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Central State, Schenectady home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $60,235, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Central State, Schenectady's effective rate of 2.07%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 9 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Central State, Schenectady
Central State, Schenectady's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Central State, Schenectady.
Who works in Central State, Schenectady, and how
Work in Central State, Schenectady centers on transportation & warehousing and retail trade. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 75%
- Work from home 7%
- Transit, walk, or bike 18%
Life in Central State, Schenectady
Central State, Schenectady has more restaurants and bars per resident than 70% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of Central State, Schenectady and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Central State, Schenectady, month by month
Central State, Schenectady sees roughly 74 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 84 degrees. January highs sit near 33, with lows near 21. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 28° | 21° |
| April | 57° | 50° | 41° |
| July | 84° | 78° | 69° |
| October | 62° | 55° | 46° |
Flying in and out of Central State, Schenectady
The nearest airport, Albany International, is about 7 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Bradley International, about 86 miles away.
The best schools in and around Central State, Schenectady
Schools across Central State, Schenectady average a C+, better than 55% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Pinewood Elementary SchoolA− · 59% proficient
- Woodlawn Elementary SchoolB− · 43% proficient
- Lincoln Elementary SchoolD+ · 23% proficient
Top middle schools
- Draper Middle SchoolB− · 39% proficient
- Mont Pleasant Middle SchoolF · 6% proficient
Top high schools
- Mohonasen Senior High SchoolA+ · 95% proficient
- Schenectady High SchoolA · 74% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Central State, Schenectady school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Central State, Schenectady measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Central State, Schenectady against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Central State, Schenectady
Is Central State, Schenectady a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Central State, Schenectady ranks 4,511th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on few empty homes, low disaster risk, and clean air, and lowest on internet speeds and property taxes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Central State, Schenectady expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $161,276. The overall cost of living runs about 4% below the national average. Set against a $60,235 median income, cost of living beats 23% of neighborhoods.
Is Central State, Schenectady safe?
Yes, Central State, Schenectady is safer than 68% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $377 per resident a year.
Compare Central State, Schenectady with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Central State, Schenectady. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Central State, Schenectady represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Central State, Schenectady detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Central State, Schenectady: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Central State, Schenectady: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Central State, Schenectady: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Central State, Schenectady: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Central State, Schenectady detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.