County housing & cost profile

Onondaga County, NY

Official Fair Market Rent from HUD and childcare costs from the U.S. Department of Labor for Onondaga County - a 2-bedroom benchmarks at $1,392/month against the county's $71,479 median household income, the housing figures the federal government publishes at true county resolution.

#1,974
of 3,222 counties for affordability
$1,392
2-BR Fair Market Rent
$15,028
Infant care / yr
$71,479
Median income

The verdict

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent costs $16,704 a year in Onondaga County, about 23% of the county's median household income, under the 30% line HUD uses to flag a housing-cost burden.

$1,392
2-BR Fair Market Rent / mo
23%
of median income on rent
$71,479
median household income
$15,028
infant care / yr
Affordability gauge

Rent burden in Onondaga County

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent takes 23% of the county's median household income, HUD flags anything above 30% as a housing-cost burden.

30% burden line
23%
0% · more affordable severely burdened · 50%+

Nationally, that ranks Onondaga County #1,974 of 3,222 US counties on rent-to-income affordability, more affordable than 39% of counties with comparable HUD and Census data.

Every figure here comes from official federal data, reported at the county level for the two costs that are actually measured that finely. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent is set each fiscal year to anchor Housing Choice Voucher payment standards across all 3,224 U.S. counties; the childcare estimates are drawn from the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices, and median household income comes from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are published only at the state tier, read those on the state profile below.

Fair Market Rent in Onondaga County

Studio$9951 bedroom$1,1232 bedroom$1,3923 bedroom$1,6914 bedroom$1,848
By unit size, FY2026 - the benchmark that sets Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Source: HUD Fair Market Rents.

Childcare costs in Onondaga County

Infant (center)$15,028/yrToddler (center)$14,300/yrPreschool (center)$13,260/yrSchool-age (center)$11,180/yr
Annual center-based cost by age band. Source: U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices.

The wider picture for New York

Housing and childcare are published at true county resolution. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are reported at the state tier, read those on the New York profile, which scores all seven dimensions on the national curve.

See the New York Life Score →

Using Onondaga County's figures

Fair Market Rent and childcare are the housing decisions a county actually controls, use them for a move, then read the state page for the rest.

  • FMR is HUD’s benchmark for Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, not a market quote, a specific listing can run above or below it. How it is sourced
  • Compare Onondaga County head-to-head with a neighboring county on rent and childcare. Compare counties
  • For crime, schools, wages and environment, read the New York state profile. New York →

County data here covers housing and childcare; the other dimensions are state-level baselines and vary within a state.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Fair Market Rent in Onondaga County?

HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Onondaga County, NY is $1,392/month (FY2026). A studio is $995, a 1-bedroom $1,123, a 3-bedroom $1,691 and a 4-bedroom $1,848. FMR is the benchmark HUD uses to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards.

How much does childcare cost in Onondaga County?

Center-based infant care in Onondaga County runs about $15,028/year, per U.S. Department of Labor data; preschool-age center care is about $13,260/year.

Is Onondaga County an affordable place to live?

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent ($16,704/year) is about 23% of the county's median household income of $71,479 - below the 30% cost-burden line HUD uses. Crime, schools and wages are best read at the state level on the New York page.

Every figure on PlainCompare is loaded directly from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OEWS, NCES, DOL, EPA, and the Census Bureau, no number is typed in by an editor. This county's affordability ranking is computed directly from HUD FMR and Census ACS data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.