01 · the cities
Albany
Albany is one of the oldest chartered cities in America (1686), with the New York state capitol building wearing every architectural style from Romanesque to Victorian on different sides. The Hudson River and the surrounding Adirondacks and Berkshires give it a serious nature backbone. Five colleges feed in young energy, and Lark Street is the local main drag for food and bars. Quieter than its neighbors, and full of layers.
full dispatch→Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,643/mo
$1,446/mo
$197/mo less than Albany (14%)
Median home price
Median home price
$361k
$309k
$52k less than Albany
State income tax
State income tax
5.9%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,203/mo
$6,632/mo
Harrisburg has $429/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
147 days
152 days
5 more than Albany
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
62 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Albany drops below 20°F on 29 more days per year than Harrisburg.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
72 / 100
69 / 100
3.0 pts behind Albany
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
19 routes
12 routes
7 fewer direct routes than Albany
Metro size
Metro size
905k metro
606k metro
Albany has 1.3x fewer events per month than Harrisburg.
the verdict
2
Albany
categories won
6
Harrisburg
categories won
Harrisburg wins on money and weather. Albany has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Albany salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works