Cost of Living & Housing in Auburn
Auburn's cost of living pairs genuinely affordable Finger Lakes-area housing and no local income tax with a real, disclosed above-average property tax rate.
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Learn moreGenuinely affordable Finger Lakes-area housing
Auburn's typical home value ran approximately $189,579 per Zillow (up 5.2% YoY), closely consistent with an August 2026 median listing price of approximately $184,000 -- genuinely affordable relative to the New York statewide average (base record).
A notably above-average property tax rate
Auburn's effective property tax rate ran 2.43% per Ownwell -- genuinely above both the New York statewide median (1.90%) and the national median (1.02%), with a median annual tax bill of approximately $3,338 (base record).
No local income tax, layered under a graduated state tax
Auburn levies NO separate local income tax -- New York limits that add-on to New York City and Yonkers. New York's real, graduated 9-bracket state income tax (3.9%-10.9% in 2026) still applies fully, and a combined 8% sales tax (4% state + 4% Cayuga County) applies on purchases (base record).
A real, disclosed, ongoing population decline
Auburn's population has genuinely declined approximately 5% since the 2020 Census (26,866 down to current estimates of 25,511-25,717) -- a real factor in the local housing market's affordability that this record discloses plainly (base record).
Key takeaways
- Auburn's housing (~$189,579 typical value) runs genuinely affordable relative to the New York statewide average.
- The effective property tax rate (2.43%) runs above both New York statewide and national medians.
- Auburn levies no local income tax; New York's graduated state income tax and an 8% combined sales tax still apply.
- Auburn's real, disclosed population decline (~5% since 2020) is a factor worth understanding alongside its affordability.
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