Upstate New York Town Among The Least Livable In America

One part of Upstate New York was just named among the least livable places in the nation.

Le Ray, New York landed on a list I'd assume residents are proud of. According to AARP, it is among the five least livable places in the country

This Is New York's Least Livable Town

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According to the AARP Livability Index, the small community in Jefferson County, New York scored a 38 out of 100. That placed the hometown with the ZIP code of 13637 tied for the fourth-worst mid-sized community nationally

Most hometowns that rank near the bottom of this list are dealing with vanishing jobs and falling home values. Le Ray's problem is actually the opposite. It's too expensive, for reasons tied directly to who lives there.

Fort Drum

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Le Ray is home to Fort Drum, one of the largest Army installations in the Northeast. The base is the engine of the local economy, but it's also wrecking the housing market for everyone who doesn't wear a uniform.

Landlords price rentals around the military's Basic Allowance for Housing. That allowance sets an artificially high floor for rent, one civilian paychecks weren't built for.

Average monthly housing costs in Le Ray run $1,489. Comparable communities average $890. That's a 67 percent premium, and it's pricing out the civilian workforce.

Drinking Water

The drinking water is also a major problem. Over 30 percent of residents live with documented drinking water violations.

According to the AARP Index, Le Ray stands alone on the low end of the list as the only community pairing contaminated water with above-average housing costs.

Low Civic Engagement

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Civic engagement is also a huge issue. Le Ray scores sat very low at 6 out of 100.

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