Rensselaer, NY Cost Of Living

Demographics | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Rensselaer, NY Summary

Cost of living in Rensselaer research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Rensselaer is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in New York, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Rensselaer is 100, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Rensselaer is 1.0x lower than the national average.

  • Rensselaer ranks as the #83 cheapest in New York out of 341.

  • Rensselaer ranks as the #2,621 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Rensselaer is $306,081.

  • The median income in Rensselaer is $66,046.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
100
Rensselaer's Overall Cost Of Living
1.0x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Rensselaer, NY?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Rensselaer has an overall cost of living index of 100, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to New York, Rensselaer has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than New York's index of 119.

The standard of living in Rensselaer ranks as #83 most affordable out of the 341 places we measured in New York. By definition, that implies Rensselaer ranks as the #258 most expensive place in the Empire State.

For more reading on life in Rensselaer, check out:

83 out of 341
In New York
2,621 out of 6,489
In America

Rensselaer Cost Of Living Vs. New York

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Rensselaer. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Rensselaer is 107.

  • The Groceries index in Rensselaer is 104.

  • The Health index in Rensselaer is 93.

  • The Housing index in Rensselaer is 86.

  • The Transportation index in Rensselaer is 95.

  • The Utilities index in Rensselaer is 100.

Living Expense Rensselaer New York National Average
Overall 100 119 100
Services 107 110 100
Groceries 104 103 100
Health 93 101 100
Housing 86 145 100
Transportation 95 105 100
Utilities 100 99 100
For more reading on cost of living around New York, check out:
Rensselaer Cost of Living Vs. NY

Rensselaer, NY Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in New York, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Rensselaer is $306,081.

  • The Median Rent in Rensselaer is $1,180.

  • The Median Income in Rensselaer is $66,046.

  • The Home Value To Income in Rensselaer is 4.6x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Rensselaer is 0.21x.

Statistic Rensselaer New York United States
Median Home Value $306,081 $508,764 $303,400
Median Rent $1,180 $1,576 $1,348
Median Income $66,046 $84,578 $78,538
Home Value To Income 4.6x 6.0x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.21x 0.22x 0.21x
$306,081
Median Home Value
$1,180
Median Rent
$66,046
Median Income

Rensselaer, NY Costs By Category

Detailed Rensselaer Services Costs Vs. New York

Item Rensselaer New York
Shampoo $1.28 $1.28
Movie $13.08 $12.13
Bowling $15.96 $18
Haircut $28.28 $24.26
Beauty Salon $51.36 $45.56

Detailed Rensselaer Groceries Costs Vs. New York

Item Rensselaer New York
Ground Beef $6.06 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.6 $1.57
Milk $4.85 $4.67
Potatoes $5.09 $4.93
Pizza $14.69 $12.09
Beer $10.9 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.74 $3.7

Detailed Rensselaer Health Costs Vs. New York

Item Rensselaer New York
Optometrist $132.47 $125.68
Doctor $111.33 $135.78
Dentist $111.69 $113.29

Detailed Rensselaer Transportation Costs Vs. New York

Item Rensselaer New York
Gasoline $3.55 $3.46
Tire Balancing $50.33 $59.92

Detailed Rensselaer Utilities Costs Vs. New York

Item Rensselaer New York
All Electricity $196.7 $193.99
Phone $195.71 $192.25

Rensselaer SnackAbility

6
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
7/10
Housing
7
Affordability
8
Diversity
8
Safety
N/A
Amenities
8.5
Education
8
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Rensselaer

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Rensselaer. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Albany, NY has a cost of living index of 101, 1.0x Rensselaer.

  • Troy, NY has a cost of living index of 100, 1.0x Rensselaer.

  • Rotterdam, NY has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x Rensselaer.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Rensselaer
Albany, NY 100,081 101 1.0x
Troy, NY 51,054 100 1.0x
Rotterdam, NY 22,798 102 1.0x
Niskayuna, NY 20,774 115 1.1x
Cohoes, NY 18,043 99 1.0x
East Glenville, NY 11,399 107 1.1x
Watervliet, NY 10,285 100 1.0x
Colonie, NY 7,705 109 1.1x
Westmere, NY 7,616 113 1.1x
Scotia, NY 7,260 98 1.0x

Articles About New York

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