Metro Life Score
Utica-Rome, NY
Above-median composite Life Score — grade B-, 57th percentile of the national corpus.
- 51.3
- Life Score / 100
- B-
- Grade (curved)
- #167
- of 387 metros
- 57%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
Verify: BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · Census · Report a data issue · Data changelog
The verdict
Utica-Rome is above-median composite Life Score — #167 of 387 (51.3/100, grade B-, 57th percentile). Carried by wages at 73/100; held back most by schools at 7/100.
- 57th
- composite percentile
- #167
- of 387 peers
- 57th
- cost dimension percentile
- 73rd
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · WAGE-LED · signature wages
Utica-Rome: pay power is the signature
Utica-Rome stamps MID · WAGE-LED with wages at the 73rd percentile of the metro corpus (HIGH) — ahead of its cost mark (MID, 57th) and composite #167. Wages (73/100) amplifies the lead; Schools (7/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Utica-Rome, NY ranks #167 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #165 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 92.7 (rent-RPP 66.1). BLS median salary $69,489, 109,220 jobs (Home Health and Personal Care Aides, Retail Salespersons, Registered Nurses). HUD 2BR FMR $1,172/mo (studio $899).
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 Utica-Rome sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
51 57th percentile higher than 57% 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 51.3 is built
Utica-Rome's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Utica-Rome 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 Utica-Rome With...
Ranking Context
Utica-Rome outranks 57% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #164 | Tallahassee, FL | 51.6 | B |
| #165 | Sebring, FL | 51.6 | B |
| #166 | Erie, PA | 51.6 | B |
| #167 | Utica-Rome, NY | 51.3 | B- |
| #168 | Fort Wayne, IN | 51.2 | B- |
| #169 | Richmond, VA | 51.2 | B- |
| #170 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 51.0 | B- |
Quality vs. Affordability
Utica-Rome, NY's quality rank (top 43% highest-quality) and affordability rank (top 43% most affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
NY Metro Scores
Read with Utica-Rome
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Utica-Rome (MID · WAGE-LED · MID/HIGH), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Fort Wayne, IN
ABS(composite) peer at 51.2 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · WAGE-LED · MID/HIGH.
Richmond, VA
ABS(composite) peer at 51.2 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · WAGE-LED · MID/HIGH.
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
ABS(composite) peer at 51.0 (Δ 0.3 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · WAGE-LED · MID/HIGH.
Columbus, OH
ABS(composite) peer at 51.6 (Δ 0.3 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · WAGE-LED · MID/HIGH.
Corpus Christi, TX (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 58/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 57/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Utica-Rome, NY relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · WAGE-LED · MID/HIGH - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Utica-Rome's middle-third Life Score
Utica-Rome scores 51.3/100 overall, but Wages (73.1) and Schools (7.3) sit 65.8 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Wages is the strongest of Utica-Rome's seven dimensions (weighted 20% 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
- Binghamton is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Binghamton
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.