What’s the best part of Syracuse? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Syracuse are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Syracuse neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to New York and Syracuse is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$106,808 median income · $196,850 median home value
$45,204 median income · $99,475 median home value
$75,346 median income · $172,367 median home value
$52,506 median income · $180,300 median home value
$52,706 median income · $234,267 median home value
$54,301 median income · $84,880 median home value
$54,356 median income · $92,417 median home value
$61,697 median income · $83,714 median home value
$97,531 median income · $162,800 median home value
$12,277 median income · $156,300 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New York’s statewide median.
New York statewide median: $85,974
New York statewide median: $507,794
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Syracuse, NY neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Syracuse, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 24 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Syracuse.” We’re lookin’ at you, Sedgewick.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Syracuse, New York has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Syracuse.
The full plate
Table: Best Syracuse neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sedgewick | 2,136 | $196,850 | $106,808 |
| 2 | Eastwood | 13,236 | $99,475 | $45,204 |
| 3 | Meadowbrook | 4,632 | $172,367 | $75,346 |
| 4 | University | 4,373 | $180,300 | $52,506 |
| 5 | South Valley | 5,019 | $234,267 | $52,706 |
| 6 | Northside | 9,055 | $84,880 | $54,301 |
| 7 | Far West-Side | 5,954 | $92,417 | $54,356 |
| 8 | Strathmore | 6,277 | $83,714 | $61,697 |
| 9 | Lincoln Park | 2,012 | $162,800 | $97,531 |
| 10 | University Hill | 8,566 | $156,300 | $12,277 |
| 11 | Wescott | 2,892 | $129,267 | $44,748 |
| 12 | Lakefront | 913 | $136,267 | $49,131 |
| 13 | Outer Comstock | 4,522 | $118,750 | $37,740 |
| 14 | Skunk City | 2,257 | $60,550 | $29,846 |
| 15 | Near Northeast | 9,327 | $82,343 | $39,879 |
| 16 | Salt Springs | 5,199 | $91,929 | $42,440 |
| 17 | Washington Square | 13,088 | $76,371 | $31,744 |
| 18 | North Valley | 5,355 | $70,075 | $34,589 |
| 19 | Elmwood | 1,719 | $69,933 | $45,367 |
| 20 | Near Eastside | 2,727 | $105,020 | $35,847 |
| 21 | Brighton | 8,794 | $58,542 | $30,302 |
| 22 | Southwest | 5,082 | $64,867 | $19,981 |
| 23 | Near Westside | 6,228 | $66,829 | $27,170 |
| 24 | Westside | 2,594 | $62,450 | $29,010 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 24 Syracuse neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Syracuse
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Syracuse where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Syracuse are Sedgewick, Eastwood, Meadowbrook, University, South Valley, Northside, Far West-Side, Strathmore, Lincoln Park, and University Hill.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Syracuse aren’t all good. Westside takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Syracuse.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on New York? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Syracuse FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Syracuse?
Sedgewick is the best neighborhood in Syracuse for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Eastwood and Meadowbrook are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Syracuse?
The best neighborhoods in Syracuse are Sedgewick, Eastwood, Meadowbrook, University, South Valley, Northside, Far West-Side, Strathmore, Lincoln Park, and University Hill. We ranked all 24 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Sedgewick?
The median household income in Sedgewick is $106,808 and the median home costs $196,850. The best blocks in Syracuse rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Syracuse neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Sedgewick, takes the top spot.
Which Syracuse neighborhood ranked last?
Westside came in last of the 24 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Syracuse the numbers put it there.
