Cost of Living & Housing in Fulton
Fulton's cost of living pairs genuinely affordable housing with a real, disclosed, above-average Oswego County property tax burden -- Fulton is cited as the highest-rate location within that county.
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Learn moreGenuinely affordable housing relative to New York statewide
Fulton's typical home value ran $189,000 per Zillow (ZIP 13069), up a notably rapid 15.0% YoY, though August 2026 median listing prices ran somewhat lower ($169,000, ~$94/sq ft) -- a real, disclosed gap between index and listing figures. Both run well below the New York statewide average home value (base record).
A genuinely high property tax burden at the county level
Oswego County's median effective property tax rate ran 2.93% per Ownwell -- well above both the New York statewide median (1.90%) and the national median (1.02%) -- with a median annual county tax bill near $3,405. Fulton itself is cited as carrying the highest rate within the county (base record).
No separate local income tax
Fulton levies NO separate local income tax, consistent with nearly every New York municipality outside New York City and Yonkers. New York's graduated 9-bracket state income tax (2026: 3.9% to 10.9%) still applies fully, alongside a combined 8% sales tax rate (4% state plus Oswego County's 4% local add-on) (base record).
An honest post-industrial cost backdrop
Fulton's real Nestle-plant-anchored economy (the company's first US plant, 1900-2003) closed decades ago, leaving an honest post-industrial local job market -- a real factor to weigh alongside the area's genuinely affordable housing (base record).
Key takeaways
- Fulton's typical home value ($189,000) runs well below the New York statewide average.
- Oswego County carries a genuinely high property tax rate (2.93% median effective rate); Fulton is cited as the county's highest-rate location.
- Fulton levies no separate local income tax, on top of New York's graduated state income tax.
- Fulton's honest post-industrial local economy is a real factor to weigh alongside its affordable housing.
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