Metro Life Score
Binghamton, NY
Above-median composite Life Score — grade B, 65th percentile of the national corpus.
- 53.0
- Life Score / 100
- B
- Grade (curved)
- #137
- of 387 metros
- 65%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Binghamton is above-median composite Life Score — #137 of 387 (53.0/100, grade B, 65th percentile). Carried by rent at 80/100; held back most by schools at 2/100.
- 65th
- composite percentile
- #137
- of 387 peers
- 55th
- cost dimension percentile
- 76th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · BALANCED · signature wages
Binghamton: pay power is the signature
Binghamton stamps MID · BALANCED with wages at the 76th percentile of the metro corpus (HIGH) — ahead of its cost mark (MID, 55th) and composite #137. Rent (80/100) amplifies the lead; Schools (2/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Binghamton, NY ranks #137 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #174 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 92.9 (rent-RPP 69.7). BLS median salary $70,400, 89,220 jobs (Home Health and Personal Care Aides, Registered Nurses, Retail Salespersons). HUD 2BR FMR $1,103/mo (studio $783).
FBI UCR (NY): 380 violent, 1661 property/100K. NCES: 11.4:1 ratio, 7.1% charter. DOL infant childcare $13,869/yr. EPA: 122 Superfund sites (NY).
Where Binghamton sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
53 65th percentile higher than 65% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 53.0 is built
Binghamton's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Binghamton scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are NY state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Binghamton With...
Ranking Context
Binghamton outranks 65% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #134 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 53.1 | B |
| #135 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 53.2 | B |
| #136 | El Paso, TX | 53.3 | B |
| #137 | Binghamton, NY | 53.0 | B |
| #138 | Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | 53.0 | B |
| #139 | Homosassa Springs, FL | 53.0 | B |
| #140 | Eau Claire, WI | 52.9 | B |
Quality vs. Affordability
Binghamton, NY's quality rank (top 35% highest-quality) and affordability rank (top 45% most affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
NY Metro Scores
Read with Binghamton
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Binghamton (MID · BALANCED · MID/HIGH), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Brunswick-St. Simons, GA
ABS(composite) peer at 53.0 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · MID/HIGH.
Homosassa Springs, FL
ABS(composite) peer at 53.0 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · MID/HIGH.
Eau Claire, WI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.9 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · MID/HIGH.
Madison, WI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.9 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · BALANCED · MID/HIGH.
Greensboro-High Point, NC (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 55/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 55/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Binghamton, NY relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · BALANCED · MID/HIGH - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Binghamton's middle-third Life Score
Binghamton scores 53.0/100 overall, but Rent (80.3) and Schools (2.3) sit 78.0 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Rent is the strongest of Binghamton's seven dimensions (weighted 15% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Schools is the weakest (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Utica is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Utica
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.