The Town FilesOswego, New York
City in Oswego County · population 16,921 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $120,600
- Household income
- $53,172
- Jan low / Jul high
- 19° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 140 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 35.7
Oswego is a city of 16,921 people in Oswego County, New York. The median home is worth $120,600, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks hipper than 96% of New York towns, better for first-time buyers than 90% of New York towns, more walkable than 89% of New York towns.
How Oswego ranks
Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Oswego is worth $120,600, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $53,172, which is more affordable than 72% of New York towns. Median rent is $1,109 a month. 50.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Oswego | Typical New York town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $120,600 | $217,700 |
| Median rent | $1,109 | $1,080 |
| Median household income | $53,172 | $80,740 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.3× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 50.2% | 79.5% |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.6% | — |
Who lives in Oswego
| People | Oswego | Typical New York town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.7 | 43.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.3% | 20.4% |
| Under 18 | 21.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% | 30.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 20.6% | 9.3% |
| Veterans | 6.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.5% | — |
| Work from home | 8.6% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 26.0 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.0% | 91.1% |
Weather in Oswego
July highs average 79.6°F and January lows 18.9°F. About 43.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 140.1 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 119 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oswego since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 10, 1958 about 2.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 30, 1972.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 11 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 18, 2017.
Severe weather in Oswego County since 1996
Oswego County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 21, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4839: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| November 20, 2022 | Winter Storm | EM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| March 20, 2020 | Biological | DR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3434: Covid-19 |
| December 19, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4472: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Oswego County
Oswego County had 32,163 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,152 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Oswego itself the ACS puts it at 8.1%.
Public schools in Oswego
6 public schools with 3,117 students, about 12.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSWEGO HIGH SCHOOL | 9-12 | 1,099 | 12.2 |
| OSWEGO MIDDLE SCHOOL | 7-8 | 575 | 11.7 |
| KINGSFORD PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-6 | 410 | 14.6 |
| CHARLES E RILEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-6 | 379 | 13.1 |
| FITZHUGH PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-6 | 350 | 11.7 |
| LEIGHTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-6 | 304 | 14.5 |
Towns near Oswego
- SUNY Oswego, NY1.9 mi · 3,451 people · home —
- Scriba, NY4.2 mi · 6,617 people · home $158,700
- Oswego, NY4.6 mi · 7,914 people · home $175,100
- New Haven, NY9.4 mi · 2,931 people · home $150,800
- Volney, NY9.5 mi · 5,671 people · home $149,200
- Hannibal, NY10.4 mi · 4,525 people · home $137,100
- Fulton, NY10.5 mi · 11,389 people · home $101,000
- Granby, NY12.0 mi · 6,520 people · home $130,000
Oswego questions
Is Oswego, New York a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Oswego scores better for retirees than 6% of New York towns and quieter than 7%. 18.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.7).
How much does a house cost in Oswego?
The median owner-occupied home in Oswego is valued at $120,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $53,172, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $1,109 a month.
What is the weather like in Oswego?
July highs average 79.6°F and January lows 18.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.1 inches of precipitation a year and 140.1 inches of snow.
Does Oswego get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oswego since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 10, 1958. The typical New York town has had 5.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)