Upstate New York Town Named One Of The Worst Places To Live In US

An Upstate New York town just landed among the five least livable places in America. The reason aren't what you might expect.

Le Ray, New York

Le Ray, New York (zip code 13637) was just ranked as one of the least livable places in the United States, on the AARP Livability Index. The small spot in Jefferson County, New York earned a low score of 38 out of 100 and tied for the fourth-worst spot nationally. It made the list for a combination of reasons that set it apart from most struggling communities.

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Unlike many economically depressed towns on the list, Le Ray's inclusion stems from an interesting mix inflated living expenses, environmental challenges, and low community involvement.

The Fort Drum Effect

This isn't a town with collapsing home values and no jobs. It's a town where military economics have created a cost-of-living nightmare for civilian residents. Le Ray encompasses Fort Drum, one of the largest Army installations in the Northeast.

While the base drives the local economy, it has badly distorted the housing market. Landlords set rents based on the military's Basic Allowance for Housing, which creates an artificially high floor.

Average monthly housing costs in Le Ray hit $1,489, compared to an $890 median benchmark for comparable communities, a 67 percent premium that civilian workers simply can't afford.

Contaminated Water And Low Civic Engagement

Making things worse, more than 30 percent of Le Ray's residents deal with documented drinking water violations. The AARP Index notes that Le Ray is the only community on the low end of the list that combines contaminated water with above-average housing costs.

Civic participation scores also ranked near the bottom nationally. This is largely due to the military families who relocate every few years and never fully put down community roots.

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