Albany receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Troy
Albany
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 27%
vs51 · Bottom 40%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs43 · Bottom 37%
Climate
60 · Bottom 14%
vs60 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 49%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs78 · Bottom 47%
Schools
43 · Bottom 39%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 9%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Troy | Albany | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,033 | 100,492 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,477 | $61,986 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,237 | $37,843 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,927/sq mi | 4,695/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $206,500 | $234,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,175 | $1,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 37.4% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.3% | 45.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.4% | 22.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 82 | 236 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -49.1% | -33.3% | 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 | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.6 min | 22.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.3 | 32.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.55 | 13.84 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 36.2% | 25.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.4% | 37.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 61.8% | 67.3% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Troy
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Albany
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Troy, NY · Albany, NY · How this is calculated: methodology