Elmira is a tight-knit community of around 27,000, filled with great family-friendly neighborhoods like West Elmira, Elmira Southwest, and Elmira College.
Growing tired of the city grind? Enjoy a slower pace of life in Jamestown, nestled on the southern end of beautiful Chautauqua Lake.
Look no further than Rochester, a diverse, liberal city of around 200,000 which rests alongside Lake Ontario.
Utica and Rome are in Oneida Country and are separated by about a 20-minute drive. Both of these principal cities in central New York lean conservative. Utica is a larger city with about 60,000 residents while Rome is home to around 32,000 folks.
Buffalo is home to about 255,000 residents and the top places to live are Orchard Park, Hamburg, and Williamsville. Buffalo is like Cleveland and Pittsburgh, but with a lower cost of living.
Binghamton is a wonderful place to raise children, as there are diverse schools within a thriving community.
Big enough to not be humdrum yet small enough for that small-town feel, Glens Falls is a walkable city of approximately 14,300.
With a population of about 400,000, Orange County is the largest city on this list; still, residents enjoy a relatively low crime rate and cost of living.
Albany, the capital of New York, is a historic city with records tracing more than 400 years ago.
With a population of around 300,000, Dutchess County is a highly desirable place to live. The top areas are Spackenkill, Arlington, and Myers Corner, which boast highly-rated schools.