The Town Files

Salina, New York

Town in Onondaga County · population 33,223 (2020 Census)

Map: where Salina is in New YorkSalina
Median home
$160,500
Household income
$72,474
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 82°
Snow a year
128 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
4
Median age
43.3

Salina is a town of 33,223 people in Onondaga County, New York. The median home is worth $160,500, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks more vibrant than 85% of New York towns, hipper than 83% of New York towns, more walkable than 82% of New York towns.

How Salina 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.

Salina lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement20th pctFamilies14th pctQuiet19th pctWalkability82nd pctFirst-time buyers81st pctYoung professionals64th pctVibrancy85th pctHip & trendy83rd pctCollege town44th pctUpscale48th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling76th pctTransit64th pctDriving50th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Salina is worth $160,500, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $72,474, which is more affordable than 76% of New York towns. Median rent is $1,226 a month. 68.7% of households own their home.

Salina vs Onondaga County vs typical New York townSalinaOnondaga CountyTypical New York townHome value$160,500$200,200$217,700Household income$72,474$76,945$80,740Monthly rent$1,226$1,108$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingSalinaTypical New York town
Median home value$160,500$217,700
Median rent$1,226$1,080
Median household income$72,474$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.8×
Homeownership68.7%79.5%
Median year built19601965
Seasonal / vacation homes1.6%—

Who lives in Salina

PeopleSalinaTypical New York town
Median age43.343.5
Age 65 and over20.0%20.4%
Under 1819.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher32.2%30.4%
Below the poverty line11.2%9.3%
Veterans6.4%—
Born outside the U.S.7.6%—
Work from home13.1%11.1%
Average commute17.9 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband90.4%91.1%

Weather in Salina

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 16.5°F. About 39.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 127.8 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 132 nights at or below freezing.

Salina monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°17°Jan34°18°Feb42°25°Mar56°36°Apr69°47°May77°57°Jun82°62°Jul80°60°Aug73°53°Sep60°42°Oct48°33°Nov37°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.634.02.530.33.019.83.53.03.40.13.63.93.73.43.90.23.29.83.330.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Syracuse Hancock Intl Ap station (3.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salina since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 2, 1983 about 6.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 28, 1990.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Salina by decade01950s11960s01970s21980s11990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 61 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 23, 2004.

Severe weather in Onondaga County since 1996

Storm events in Onondaga County since 1996 by typeHail182Flood9Drought5High Wind27Ice Storm7Lightning20Heavy Snow86Flash Flood63
NOAA Storm Events Database, Onondaga County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 9 deaths recorded.

Onondaga County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 8, 2021HurricaneDR-4625: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
October 28, 2012HurricaneEM-3351: Hurricane Sandy
June 10, 2011FloodDR-1993: Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds

Jobs and pay in Onondaga County

Onondaga County had 245,375 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,444 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Salina itself the ACS puts it at 4.9%.

Largest industries in Onondaga CountyHealth care & social assistan…35,080 jobs · $63,669Retail24,814 jobs · $40,683Manufacturing19,589 jobs · $86,756Hotels & restaurants17,600 jobs · $28,085Administrative & support15,190 jobs · $59,538Transportation & warehousing14,646 jobs · $48,298
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Onondaga County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Onondaga 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Salina

Salina questions

Is Salina, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Salina scores better for retirees than 20% of New York towns and quieter than 19%. 20.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.3).

How much does a house cost in Salina?

The median owner-occupied home in Salina is valued at $160,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,474, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,226 a month.

What is the weather like in Salina?

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 16.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.9 inches of precipitation a year and 127.8 inches of snow.

Does Salina get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Salina since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 2, 1983. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Salina's Census boundary (GEOID 3606764815). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.