Moving to Canandaigua: Pros, Cons & What to Know

Moving to Canandaigua means moving to a real, historically significant Finger Lakes city on Canandaigua Lake -- the site of the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua and the original hometown of Constellation Brands -- with a genuinely older demographic profile than neighboring Geneva.

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A real, small, historically significant city

Canandaigua's population runs approximately 10,348-10,607, and the city is the real, historic site of the Treaty of Canandaigua (1794), a genuine, still-living legal keystone of US-Haudenosaunee relations.

Distinct from Geneva, its Ontario County neighbor

Canandaigua sits on Canandaigua Lake, genuinely separate from Geneva's own Seneca Lake location -- the two share Ontario County but carry real, distinct identities and demographic profiles.

Constellation Brands' roots, stated precisely

Constellation Brands was founded in Canandaigua more than 75 years ago, but its global headquarters relocated to Rochester in 2024 -- Canandaigua retains a real, continuing legacy office with approximately 200 employees, not the current corporate HQ.

No separate local income tax

Canandaigua levies no separate local income tax of its own -- New York limits that local add-on specifically to New York City and Yonkers.

Key takeaways

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-25. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.