Is Albany, OR a Good Place to Live?
Albany is a mid-sized city of 56,348 in Oregon, with a median household income of $69,777 and a 6.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 105 (US average = 100), which is 5% above the national average.
Strengths: Albany stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Albany is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Albany 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: 104.6Albany's overall cost of living index is 104.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Albany costs roughly 5% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Albany, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $321,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,194 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 60.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $69,777 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageAlbany's violent crime rate is 195.9 per 100,000 residents — 48% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Albany is served primarily by Greater Albany Public SD 8J. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.0:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Albany, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Greater Albany Public SD 8J | — |
| Elementary Schools | 13 | — |
| Middle Schools | 4 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Albany sees average highs of 47.4°F in January and 82.9°F in July, with 43.1 inches of annual precipitation and 2.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Albany, OR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 47.4°F |
| Average High — July | 82.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Albany, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,348 | — |
| Median Age | 36.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 82.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 25.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Albany
Albany, OR is covered by 2 ZIP codes: