Pros and Cons of Living in Massena
Massena's core trade-off pairs a real, dramatically affordable North Country setting and a currently-operating industrial anchor against a documented historical population decline and a disclosed crime-data spread.
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Learn morePro: dramatic affordability and a real, currently-operating industrial anchor
Massena's housing runs approximately 76% below New York's statewide average, and Alcoa's Massena Operations smelter -- the world's longest continuously operating aluminum smelter -- remains open today with a real, current $60 million investment underway.
Pro: a real, respectful, current relationship with the sovereign Akwesasne Mohawk Nation
Massena sits immediately adjacent to Akwesasne, with a real, cited environmental co-management partnership between the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and New York State.
Con: a documented historical population decline
Massena has genuinely lost approximately 4,000 residents between 1970 and 2020, tied to real, disclosed industrial closures -- the SEPARATE Massena East smelter (2015) and the SEPARATE GM plant (2009), distinct from the still-operating Massena Operations plant.
Con: an elevated property tax rate and a disclosed crime-data spread
St. Lawrence County's property tax rate runs above the national median, and Massena's crime data carries a real, disclosed spread across sources worth confirming directly.
Key takeaways
- Pro: housing runs approximately 76% below New York's own statewide average, alongside a currently-operating Alcoa smelter.
- Pro: a real, respectful, current neighboring relationship with the sovereign Akwesasne Mohawk Nation.
- Con: a documented historical population decline tied to real, disclosed industrial closures.
- Con: St. Lawrence County's elevated property tax rate and a disclosed crime-data spread across sources.
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