Capital Region ranked fourth most expensive place to live in New York
This article originally appeared on Spectrum News
It’s no secret that New York can be an expensive place to live, but the Capital Region is the fourth most expensive area in the state, placing just behind New York City, its suburbs and some Hudson Valley locations, according to one ranking.
Aria Thaker is an associate manager for Doxo Insights, the company that compiled the costs of bills from across the country.
“You might be under the impression that the costs in their area, because it’s a small town or a small-to-medium-sized city, the costs may be lower,” said Thaker.
It found the average cost of bills and utilities in the Capital Region was $1,961 a month, nearly four times the national average. It takes up more than a third of the average income in the area, according to its data.
What You Need To Know
The Capital Region is topping the ranks of most expensive cities in the state, coming in at number four
The average cost of bills and utilities in the Capital Region is $1,961 a month, nearly four times the national average
It takes up more than a third of the average income in the area
“We’re trying to empower consumers by letting them know how much their neighbors are paying for bills, and where they may be paying too much or too little,” Thaker said.
This comes as the need for assistance continues to grow amid the pandemic.
Michele McClave is commissioner of the Albany County Department of Social Services.
“Since the pandemic began, our SNAP applications have been really, really high,” McClave said. “Our other applications for all of our other assistance has skyrocketed.”
It’s putting an extra strain on a system that’s already exhausted and allocations are drying up fast, just as winter looms on the horizon.
“We’re keeping the wolf at the door for a lot of people. The numbers of homeless in Albany County are starting to increase, as well, and we’re concerned about this upcoming winter,” she added.
It’s not just the city of Albany where the costs rack up. Areas surrounding Albany, such as Amsterdam, Gloversville and Glens Falls all rank higher in costs than other major cities across the state.
Thaker says sometimes those statistics can be shocking for residents.
“Sometimes in the smaller towns is what you see is the rent and mortgage costs go up in comparison to what a larger city like Syracuse or Buffalo may show,” Thaker said.
But there’s a silver lining. Some hope that relief will be in sight across the state with extra funding and enhanced benefits for social services.
“Enhanced benefits for SNAP have been a huge God-send for so many, many households, and we’re hoping that HEAP will be the same way, there will be additional funding.”
HEAP assistance is open for applications. Information on SNAP, HEAP, child care subsidies, temporary assistance and other programs can be found here.
Programs offered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance OTDA Programs can also be found by calling 800-342-3009. Applications can be made directly on-line here, or contact your local social services department.