The Town Files

SUNY Oswego, New York

Community in Oswego County · population 3,451 (2020 Census)

Map: where SUNY Oswego is in New YorkSUNY Oswego
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 80°
Snow a year
140 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
19.5

SUNY Oswego is a community of 3,451 people in Oswego County, New York. It ranks better for young professionals than 96% of New York towns, more of a college town than 89% of New York towns, better for cycling than 80% of New York towns.

How SUNY 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.

SUNY Oswego lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement33rd pctFamilies10th pctQuiet24th pctWalkability58th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals96th pctVibrancy63rd pctHip & trendy79th pctCollege town89th pctUpscale51st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling80th pctTransit70th pctDriving22nd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

0.0% of households own their home.

HousingSUNY OswegoTypical New York town
Median home value—$217,700
Median rent—$1,080
Median household income—$80,740
Home value ÷ income—×2.8×
Homeownership0.0%79.5%
Median year built—1965
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in SUNY Oswego

PeopleSUNY OswegoTypical New York town
Median age19.543.5
Age 65 and over0.0%20.4%
Under 180.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher100.0%30.4%
Below the poverty line42.5%9.3%
Veterans0.0%—
Born outside the U.S.7.2%—
Work from home14.0%11.1%
Average commute8.5 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband0.0%91.1%

Weather in SUNY 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.

SUNY Oswego monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing31°19°Jan33°20°Feb41°27°Mar53°37°Apr66°48°May75°57°Jun80°63°Jul79°62°Aug72°55°Sep59°45°Oct47°35°Nov37°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.844.72.935.33.017.13.52.83.33.43.43.53.94.60.24.19.43.930.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Oswego station (0.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of SUNY Oswego since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 10, 1958 about 3.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 15, 1996.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of SUNY Oswego by decade11950s01960s11970s01980s11990s02000s02010s02020s
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 13 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 16, 1983.

Severe weather in Oswego County since 1996

Storm events in Oswego County since 1996 by typeHail74Flood23High Wind51Heavy Rain7Heavy Snow120Flash Flood26Frost/Freeze23Winter Storm56
NOAA Storm Events Database, Oswego County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Oswego County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 21, 2024Severe StormDR-4839: Severe Storm And Flooding
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
December 19, 2019Severe StormDR-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 SUNY Oswego itself the ACS puts it at 22.9%.

Largest industries in Oswego CountyRetail4,210 jobs · $38,215Health care & social assistan…4,014 jobs · $55,884Manufacturing3,400 jobs · $85,905Hotels & restaurants3,232 jobs · $23,860Construction1,528 jobs · $72,741Other services897 jobs · $35,749
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Oswego County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Oswego 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near SUNY Oswego

SUNY Oswego questions

Is SUNY Oswego, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, SUNY Oswego scores better for retirees than 33% of New York towns and quieter than 24%. 0.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 19.5).

What is the weather like in SUNY 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 SUNY Oswego get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of SUNY Oswego since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 10, 1958. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to SUNY Oswego's Census boundary (GEOID 3672327). 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.