Is Ballston Spa, NY a Good Place to Live?
Ballston Spa is a small town of 5,288 in New York, with a median household income of $78,136 and a 2.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 98 (US average = 100), which is 2% below the national average.
Strengths: Ballston Spa stands out for solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Ballston Spa is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Ballston Spa city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 97.6Ballston Spa's overall cost of living index is 97.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ballston Spa costs roughly 2% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Ballston Spa, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $260,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,088 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 65.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $78,136 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeBallston Spa's violent crime rate is 59.6 per 100,000 residents — 84% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Ballston Spa is served primarily by BALLSTON SPA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Ballston Spa, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | BALLSTON SPA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 42.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Ballston Spa sees average highs of 32.0°F in January and 83.8°F in July, with 46.4 inches of annual precipitation and 63.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Ballston Spa, NY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 32.0°F |
| Average High — July | 83.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 63.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Ballston Spa, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,288 | — |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.7% | 16.8% |