Albany, NY — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·New York·Albany

Albany County · Albany-Schenectady-Troy · population 101,317

Image: Wikipedia · Albany, New York

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

View watchlist →

Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Albany stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.1% in the last year.

Median home $324,670

1-year +4.1%

5-yr CAGR +6.4%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Population +0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

52/100

Somewhat walkable

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

30/100

Minimal transit

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

85/100

Excellent for remote work

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.6

Lean buy

At a 16.6 price-to-rent ratio, Albany is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

71 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

72 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Population growth

55 · w16%

Rent YoY

73 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

66 · w10%

Long thesis

Albany has held up across the cycle: home values at $324,670 with +6.4% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Albany's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Albany

Albany is a city in Albany County, New York, with an estimated population of 101,317. It anchors the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro area. The population grew 0.5% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Albany is $324,670 as of 2026-04, up 4.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Albany average $1,634 per month, up 4.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 72 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.

●Quiet strength: +4.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.

●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Albany (Wikipedia)

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York. It is also the county seat of, and the most populous city in Albany County. Albany is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, approximately ten miles (16 km) south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Its population was 99,224 at the time of the 2020 census and was estimated at 101,698 in 2025.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorDorcey Applyrs

Area21.94 sq mi

Elevation148 ft

MottoAssiduityefn

Density4730.28/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Albany County right now.

NWS active alerts (NY)New York Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Albany County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Albany

24 tracked · ranked by median home value

1Bishop's Gate$385,074+6.3%

2Normanskill$368,734+5.4%

3Buckingham Lake – Crestwood$365,419+5.8%

4Westmere$362,895+4.3%

5Lancaster$356,294+4.5%

6Center Square$348,869+0.1%

7New Scotland$322,149+3.9%

8Melrose$312,743+2.9%

9Helderberg$307,254+1.9%

10Upper Washington Avenue$305,407+3.4%

11Campus Area (University District)$303,726+2.7%

12Whitehall$300,531+4.8%

13Hudson/Park$299,143-2.4%

14Pine Hills$278,572+1.6%

15North Albany – Shaker Park$263,098+3.2%

16Park South$262,920-5.4%

17Dunes$255,259+3.1%

18Delaware Avenue$238,267+4.2%

19Central Avenue$224,572-0.6%

20Sheridan Hollow$203,292-11.7%

21Second Avenue$184,550-0.5%

22Arbor Hill$168,410-7.1%

23South End$142,720+3.8%

24West Hill$136,466+2.7%

Cities like Albany

Troy, NY71 · Rising Buffalo, NY70 · Rising Schenectady, NY72 · Rising Saratoga Springs, NY72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Albany

ToolCan I afford Albany?Income → city shortlist ToolROI on a Albany rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR ToolCompare Albany to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 cities ToolAlbany cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)

33° / 19°

avg high / low

Summer (Jul)

82° / 63°

avg high / low

Sunny days/yr

183

~50% of year

Annual precip

41″ rain

60″ snow

Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)

Hurricane

Moderate

Tornado

Very low

Wildfire

Very low

Earthquake

Very low

Flood

Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Albany listings on the major real-estate sites.

For rent

Zillow rentals → Apartments.com → Trulia rentals →

For sale

Zillow for sale → Realtor.com →

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Latest news

At CAM Law Enforcement Forum in Albany, More Than 100 New York State Troopers Trained to Identify Antisemitic Extremism
Combat Antisemitism Movement · 5h ago
Legislature pushes budget past Memorial Day
NEWS10 ABC · 7h ago
Cautious Maps in New York Haunt Democrats’ Redistricting War
New York Focus · 12h ago
Things to do this weekend in the Capital Region
Times Union · 2d ago
William Kennedy’s Albany Trilogy: An Interview with Paul Grondahl
New York Almanack · 13h ago
Costco buys $15.6 million in more Upstate NY land from Pyramid
NewYorkUpstate.com · 13h ago

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

NFLNew York Giants →New York Jets →

NBANew York Knicks →Brooklyn Nets →

MLBNew York Yankees →New York Mets →

NHLNew York Rangers →New York Islanders →New Jersey Devils →

Local economy & environment

Humidity

71%

Humid climate

Median household income

$81,400

New York state median

Top industries (state-level)

Finance (NYC)MediaHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.