City profile · New York · Census ACS 2023

Oswego, NY

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Oswego — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

17,028
Residents
$53,286
Median income
$114,600
Median home
$1,579
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Oswego, NY

Oswego is a city in New York with a population of 17,028 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $53,286 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 14.2%. Typical homes in Oswego are valued around $114,600, and the median resident age is 35.6 years. About 28.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 27 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 53% from five years earlier. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 48.7°F with 43.1 inches of precipitation per year and 140.1 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, New York registers 107.9 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,579 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $285 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Oswego report an average commute of 16.9 minutes, with 73.0% driving alone and 8.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 69.4 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

17,028 residents

Census ACS 2023 — New York

Median Household Income

$53,286 /yr

Poverty 14.2%

Cost of Living Index

107.9 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Oswego compare to other US cities?

Where Oswego sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 25% higher than other cities
Home value 15% pricier than other cities
Median rent 78% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare Oswego against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Oswego, NY Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Oswego, NY. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Oswego, NY — median $53,286/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Oswego, NY — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 28.5%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.2%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.5%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
17,028
Median Income
$53,286
Median Home Value
$114,600
Median Age
35.6
Poverty Rate
14.2%
Labor force participation
56.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.5%

Climate

Avg Temperature
48.7°F
Annual Precipitation
43.1"
Annual Snowfall
140.1"

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
27
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
27
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 57
2020 150
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 27

Permit volume decreased 53% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
16.9 minutes
Drive Alone
73.0%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
2.0%
Walk
7.1%
Work from Home
8.0%
Other
0.9%

Based on 7,711 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New York — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$65
avg/month
Total Utilities
$285
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New York state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

New York state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
107.9
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,579/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
69.4 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Oswego, NY Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Oswego, NY — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Oswego compares to nearby New York cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Oswego) plus the nearest peer cities in New York, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NY

Oswego

53.29% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$53,286
Brackets
17
Selected

NY

Massapequa Park

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,700
Brackets
17
Selected

NY

Hampton Bays

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,710
Brackets
17
Selected

NY

Islip

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,720
Brackets
17
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NY NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Oswego, NY?

What is the population of Oswego, NY? +

Oswego, NY has a population of 17,028 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Oswego, NY? +

The median household income in Oswego is $53,286 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Oswego? +

Oswego has a cost of living index of 107.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

What is the median home value in Oswego, NY? +

The median home value in Oswego is $114,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Oswego? +

Oswego has an average annual temperature of 48.7°F, 43.1 inches of precipitation, and 140.1 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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