Editor’s Note: This is not investment advice, and we are not financial advisers.
Suppose real estate is the most significant investment a majority of people make in their lifetime. In that case, it’s best to understand the places in New York with best potential return on investment.
After working in real estate adjacent roles for over a decade, I had the hypothesis that the best place to buy for a return on investment would be up-and-coming cities. Smaller cities where crime might be high now, but people still move to.
To test my hypothesis, we are going to look at places in New York that are growing faster than average, but where home prices are below average, and crime rates are higher than average.
In everyday terms, these might be “deals”. The best deal in New York at the moment according to Saturday Night Science? That would be Liberty.
1.2% population growth · 14.7% home price growth
Data | Movers
-0.1% population growth · 2.9% home price growth
The Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York. According to the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 4,995. The village is part of the North Shore School District.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
-0.4% population growth · 1.1% home price growth
Mechanicville is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population is 5,196 as of the 2010 census. It is the smallest city by area in the state. The name is derived from the occupations of early residents.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.7% population growth · 2.1% home price growth
Williamsville is a village in Erie County, New York, in the United States. The population was 5,300 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler. It is part of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.1% population growth · -0.2% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.4% population growth · -1.9% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
-0.6% population growth · 3.3% home price growth
Fairport is a village located in the Town of Perinton, which is part of Monroe County, New York. Fairport is a suburb 9 miles east of Rochester. It is also known as the “Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal”. In 2005 it was named as one of the “Best Places to Live” by Money Magazine. The population of the Village of Fairport is 5,353 as of the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.4% population growth · 1.4% home price growth
Located in
Orange County, New York
Goshen is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 13,687 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the Land of Goshen.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
2.3% population growth · 0.2% home price growth
Coordinates: 4107N 7404W 41.117; -74.067
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.8% population growth · 9.6% home price growth
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
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: $507,794
On the map
Where New York’s best buys are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine the best places to buy a home in New York for 2026?
We were in real estate for almost five years and have worked on this site for over a decade. Suffice it to say we’ve put a lot of thought into finding an excellent place to buy a home.
So all that thinking has come to this moment where we get to spell out how we’d approach finding an up-and-coming place to live in New York. Put differently, the analysis will try to find places in New York with undervalued homes relative to pent-up demand using Saturday Night Science.
To do that, we looked at the most recent American Community Survey Census data for 2020-2024 and compared it to the previous vintage. Specifically, we used the following criteria:
- Y-o-Y Change In Population (People want to live here)
- Y-o-Y Change In Median Home Prices (People are willing to pay for it)
- Home Prices Relative To The State Average (It’s still kinda cheap)
We want places that are growing, have seen home prices increase in recent years, and are still “cheap” for New York, with these caveats: home prices had to be within 20% of the state average, home prices increased in the last year, and the city had above 5,000 people.
So of the 1186 cities and towns in New York, only 168 places made it through our initial filters to even be considered.
We then ranked each place from 1 to 168 for the above criteria, with 1 being the best. We averaged the rankings to create a “best place to buy” index, with the place having the lowest index being the best.
Turns out that Liberty is the best potential gem in the not-so-rough in the Empire State. The median New York home is 67 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Best Places To Buy A Home In New York
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Home Price | Population Change | Home Price Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty | 5,142 | $217,951 | 1.2% | 14.7% |
| 2 | Sea Cliff | 5,033 | $1,099,757 | -0.1% | 2.9% |
| 3 | Mechanicville | 5,124 | $483,740 | -0.4% | 1.1% |
| 4 | Williamsville | 5,469 | $410,876 | 0.7% | 2.1% |
| 5 | Elmsford | 5,186 | $678,626 | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| 6 | Kings Point | 5,634 | $2,373,621 | 0.4% | -1.9% |
| 7 | Fairport | 5,403 | $396,821 | -0.6% | 3.3% |
| 8 | Goshen | 5,773 | $558,034 | 0.4% | 1.4% |
| 9 | Kaser | 5,694 | $1,050,815 | 2.3% | 0.2% |
| 10 | New Hempstead | 5,472 | $978,445 | 0.8% | 9.6% |
| 11 | Salamanca | 5,846 | $96,934 | -0.5% | -1.6% |
| 12 | Bath | 5,560 | $121,856 | -0.6% | -7.5% |
| 13 | Pelham Manor | 5,644 | $1,309,985 | -0.1% | -3.5% |
| 14 | Albion | 5,506 | $98,611 | 0.2% | -3.9% |
| 15 | Wappingers Falls | 5,761 | $486,033 | 1.2% | 1.7% |
| 16 | Malone | 5,429 | $128,926 | -0.7% | -1.3% |
| 17 | Webster | 5,718 | $386,505 | -0.3% | 2.5% |
| 18 | Ballston Spa | 5,027 | $422,527 | -1.0% | 1.6% |
| 19 | Washingtonville | 5,707 | $516,964 | -0.3% | 0.6% |
| 20 | Hilton | 5,968 | $300,281 | -0.4% | 2.0% |
| 21 | Medina | 5,770 | $172,122 | -0.5% | 1.3% |
| 22 | North Hills | 5,415 | $1,472,340 | -0.1% | -3.8% |
| 23 | Wesley Hills | 6,196 | $1,123,610 | 0.7% | 2.3% |
| 24 | Hudson | 5,865 | $436,090 | -0.6% | -1.0% |
| 25 | Larchmont | 6,567 | $1,661,377 | 0.4% | 2.5% |
| 26 | East Aurora | 5,993 | $431,047 | -0.1% | 1.0% |
| 27 | Solvay | 6,544 | $179,729 | -0.7% | 1.3% |
| 28 | Horseheads | 6,449 | $213,484 | -0.7% | -0.6% |
| 29 | Monticello | 7,279 | $275,474 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 30 | Bronxville | 6,510 | $1,450,321 | -0.4% | -0.2% |
| 31 | Canton | 7,167 | $185,238 | -0.8% | 0.4% |
| 32 | Irvington | 6,531 | $1,222,448 | -0.2% | 1.3% |
| 33 | Lawrence | 6,778 | $2,123,230 | 0.1% | 7.7% |
| 34 | East Rochester | 6,218 | $227,077 | -0.7% | 2.6% |
| 35 | Tuckahoe | 6,973 | $815,213 | -0.2% | -0.0% |
| 36 | Norwich | 6,782 | $145,101 | -1.4% | -6.6% |
| 37 | Cedarhurst | 7,320 | $1,206,385 | 0.2% | 3.9% |
| 38 | Walden | 6,868 | $412,020 | -0.0% | 0.0% |
| 39 | Bayville | 6,744 | $841,959 | 0.0% | 1.7% |
| 40 | Manorhaven | 6,958 | $823,279 | 0.3% | -2.6% |
| 41 | North Syracuse | 6,693 | $230,806 | -0.5% | 0.3% |
| 42 | Warwick | 6,585 | $566,347 | -0.6% | 1.8% |
| 43 | Herkimer | 7,566 | $159,599 | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| 44 | Pelham | 7,305 | $1,360,404 | 0.8% | 3.7% |
| 45 | Great Neck Plaza | 7,593 | $498,568 | 1.2% | 3.4% |
| 46 | Hudson Falls | 7,395 | $230,035 | -0.1% | -2.6% |
| 47 | Nyack | 7,393 | $748,480 | -1.0% | 1.2% |
| 48 | New Paltz | 8,314 | $496,651 | 3.6% | -1.1% |
| 49 | East Hills | 7,257 | $1,751,159 | 0.1% | 1.1% |
| 50 | Pleasantville | 7,371 | $987,582 | -0.3% | 0.4% |
| 51 | Williston Park | 7,542 | $927,596 | 0.5% | 3.6% |
| 52 | Northport | 7,322 | $850,559 | 0.0% | -1.6% |
| 53 | Scotia | 7,264 | $249,645 | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| 54 | Colonie | 7,702 | $341,964 | -0.0% | 0.0% |
| 55 | Briarcliff Manor | 7,519 | $1,094,016 | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| 56 | Baldwinsville | 7,715 | $321,320 | -0.2% | 1.5% |
| 57 | Ilion | 7,593 | $147,236 | -0.6% | -2.8% |
| 58 | Hastings-on-Hudson | 8,434 | $1,036,677 | -0.2% | -5.9% |
| 59 | Port Jefferson | 8,091 | $756,205 | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| 60 | Chestnut Ridge | 10,557 | $862,819 | 0.9% | 2.3% |
| 61 | Croton-on-Hudson | 8,202 | $812,905 | -0.0% | 3.3% |
| 62 | Brockport | 7,277 | $269,355 | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| 63 | Geneseo | 7,701 | $271,031 | 0.0% | 3.4% |
| 64 | Johnstown | 8,111 | $192,659 | -0.5% | -0.2% |
| 65 | Hornell | 8,152 | $109,104 | -0.3% | -0.5% |
| 66 | Malverne | 8,477 | $801,814 | -0.2% | 2.1% |
| 67 | Port Jervis | 8,652 | $310,671 | -0.7% | -2.0% |
| 68 | Monroe | 9,515 | $530,517 | 0.5% | -0.7% |
| 69 | New Square | 9,803 | $793,683 | 0.9% | 1.6% |
| 70 | Airmont | 10,205 | $963,994 | 1.2% | 3.6% |
| 71 | Newark | 8,991 | $196,938 | -0.5% | -0.6% |
| 72 | Farmingdale | 8,474 | $717,477 | 0.3% | 2.9% |
| 73 | Potsdam | 8,427 | $177,296 | -0.9% | 0.5% |
| 74 | Rensselaer | 9,287 | $306,690 | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| 75 | Amityville | 9,588 | $587,036 | 0.8% | -2.9% |
| 76 | Rye Brook | 9,900 | $1,236,848 | 0.2% | 3.8% |
| 77 | Massena | 10,238 | $115,435 | 0.0% | -2.9% |
| 78 | Hamburg | 9,792 | $297,871 | 0.3% | -0.9% |
| 79 | New Hyde Park | 10,220 | $974,068 | 0.1% | 2.2% |
| 80 | East Rockaway | 10,077 | $735,012 | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| 81 | Watervliet | 10,287 | $308,697 | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| 82 | Lancaster | 10,113 | $242,275 | -0.1% | 3.0% |
| 83 | Sleepy Hollow | 10,887 | $1,010,737 | 2.8% | 3.7% |
| 84 | Great Neck | 11,087 | $1,455,883 | 0.2% | 2.2% |
| 85 | West Haverstraw | 10,711 | $425,897 | 0.5% | -0.9% |
| 86 | Canandaigua | 10,514 | $274,506 | -0.3% | -0.4% |
| 87 | Fredonia | 9,467 | $204,763 | -1.4% | -2.0% |
| 88 | Ogdensburg | 9,455 | $106,454 | -1.5% | -4.5% |
| 89 | Corning | 10,643 | $189,794 | -0.2% | 1.4% |
| 90 | Woodbury | 11,334 | $1,478,907 | -0.9% | 2.5% |
| 91 | Oneida | 10,171 | $209,146 | -0.7% | 0.4% |
| 92 | Suffern | 11,441 | $576,040 | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| 93 | Mount Kisco | 10,737 | $688,450 | -0.4% | 0.4% |
| 94 | Dobbs Ferry | 11,443 | $975,067 | 0.4% | 1.7% |
| 95 | Lake Grove | 11,061 | $713,790 | 0.1% | 1.4% |
| 96 | Fulton | 11,272 | $175,606 | -0.6% | -0.3% |
| 97 | Tarr | 11,784 | $821,122 | 0.3% | 1.7% |
| 98 | Dunkirk | 12,549 | $128,151 | -0.4% | -1.8% |
| 99 | Babylon | 12,185 | $720,476 | 0.0% | -0.5% |
| 100 | Haverstraw | 12,325 | $444,473 | 0.4% | -1.1% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 168 New York cities cleared the filters.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Purchase A House In New York for 2026
There’s our analysis of the best places to buy a house in New York. And, to be clear, we aren’t necessarily saying these places are the best places to live, just that it looks like they might be in a couple of years based on the data.
In fact, every place in the following table meets our criteria, so even though it may not look super long, remember we started off with all 1186 places in the state.
The best cities to buy a house in New York are Liberty, Sea Cliff, Mechanicville, Williamsville, Elmsford, Kings Point, Fairport, Goshen, Kaser, and New Hempstead.
So if we could rent or buy in these cities, we’d definitely buy. Not sold on New York? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Buy A House In New York FAQs
What is the best city in New York to buy a house?
Liberty is the best place to buy a house in New York for 2026. Its population is growing, home values are rising, and the median home still costs $217,951. Sea Cliff and Mechanicville are next on the list.
What are the best cities to buy a home in New York?
The best cities to buy a house in New York are Liberty, Sea Cliff, Mechanicville, Williamsville, Elmsford, Kings Point, Fairport, Goshen, Kaser, and New Hempstead. Only 168 of the 1186 places in New York cleared our filters on growth and home prices.
How much does a house cost in Liberty?
The median home value in Liberty is $217,951, versus $507,794 across New York. Across the full top ten, the median home runs $618,330.
How do you pick the best places to buy a home in New York?
We look for New York places where the population is growing, home prices are climbing, and homes are still cheap relative to the state average, using Census American Community Survey data. Cities that hit all three get the highest Buy Index scores.
Is this a guarantee home values will go up?
No. This is not investment advice — just where the data points to potential value. The Buy Index says these markets look healthier than most of New York, not that any single house is a good deal.
