Cohoes receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Albany
Cohoes
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 40%
vs59 · Top 44%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs19 · Bottom 7%
Climate
60 · Bottom 14%
vs60 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 6%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 47%
vs78 · Bottom 45%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs56 · Top 44%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 16%
vs32 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Albany | Cohoes | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 100,492 | 18,159 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,986 | $61,145 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,843 | $35,304 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,695/sq mi | 4,813/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $234,700 | $223,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,216 | $1,251 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.2% | 39.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.3% | 27.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.9% | 25.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 236 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -33.3% | -100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 40.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.0 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.84 | 11.11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.1% | 46.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.3% | 57.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 67.3% | 59.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Albany, NY · Cohoes, NY · How this is calculated: methodology