Auburn 101

The City of Auburn (pop. 26,601) is located approximately 25 miles west of Syracuse, 35 miles north of Ithaca, and 55 miles east of Rochester. We are located along the Owasco River in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.

Living Here

Auburn’s cost of living is

0 % lower

than the U.S. average.

Close proximity to

higher-ed & research institutions

Forbes ranks the city of Auburn as the

# 50

small city in the northeast to raise a family.

Working Here

Employees in Auburn have a faster commute time than the U.S. average, traveling

0 % faster

(18 minutes on average, compared to 26.4 minutes.)

Auburn offers

100 +

retail, financial, food, entertainment, and professional businesses with dozens of nonprofits and government agencies.

The largest share of households have an income range of

$60k–$ 60 k

Doing Business Here

Cayuga County has a labor force of approximately

20000

In close proximity to top colleges and universities such as

RIT, Syracuse, & Cornell

Cayuga County has concentrations in 

manufacturing & agriculture

that are higher than both the New York and United States rates.

Why Auburn?

The City’s comprehensive plan “Building a Sustainable Auburn” (adopted January 2010) sets forth a vision for the city’s future. The City strives to become a regional destination for people seeking a culturally rich, economically successful and environmentally friendly place to live, visit, or conduct business.

Community Profile

Whether you’re visiting or moving to Auburn, NY, the City of Auburn is a micropolis that features historic, stable neighborhoods; excellent education opportunities; a dynamic downtown; a solid manufacturing base; an emerging arts and culture scene; and a full array of community services.

Historic Neighborhoods

Housing in Auburn and the Syracuse Metro Region is among the most affordable in the nation. Our City is rich in history with links to such influential historical figures as Harriet Tubman, Louis Comfort Tiffany, William H. Seward, and Theodore Case to name a few. Many of Auburn’s landmarks and historic sites have been preserved and are located within the South Street National Historic District. The Historic Resources Review Board (HRRB) is responsible for preserving the City of Auburn’s historic buildings located within the District and several “Local Landmark Structures”. The Auburn Beautification Commission helps keep the City of Auburn a beautiful place to live, work, and play.

Dynamic Downtown

Downtown Auburn is experiencing a true renaissance. Over the last decade, the City has invested millions of dollars in its urban core for a variety of projects. These include extensive uniform streetscape enhancements, improvements to traffic circulation, building stabilization, facade improvements, creating interesting and inviting public spaces, and encouraging public art. Private sector investment downtown includes such transformational projects as the Auburn Public Theater and Logan Park Lofts. Additionally, several new restaurants and businesses have opened recently making Downtown Auburn a true destination.

Excellent Education Opportunities

Quality education & training opportunities are available to meet the needs of individuals and businesses in Auburn. Cayuga Community College (CCC) provides an affordable gateway to higher education, credit-free courses for leisure learning and specialized workforce training. Wells College is located on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, and it provides a unique experience to higher education. Cayuga-Onondaga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) provides vocational, special education, professional development, adult education and career training programs and services for a nine-district area within its new state-of-the-art LEED Silver certified facilities.

The Auburn School District provides an excellent educational program for over 4,850 full-time students, with additional numbers in night school and external programs. Outside the district, students are encouraged to pursue higher education with opportunities present in the surrounding areas of Rochester, Ithaca, and Syracuse. 

Emerging Arts and Culture Scene

Year-round programming is available in Auburn through a variety of venues to showcase the region’s creative talents and history. Organizations contributing to this growing scene include Auburn Public Theater, Auburn Players Community Theatre, New York Institute of Dance and Education, Schweinfurth Memorial Arts Center, Cayuga Museum,  and the The REV Theatre Company to name a few! Major festivals include Founders Day, New York Dance Festival, TomatoFest, and Quilts=Art=Quilts.

Solid Manufacturing Base

The City of Auburn has a strong and diverse local manufacturing base with concentrations in specialty materials and advanced manufacturing processes. We build everything from custom leather dog collars to flawless metal rings, recycled plastic bottles to kayak storage systems! The City’s largest manufacturers include Currier Plastics, Hammond & Irving, Xylem, NUCOR Steel and 4-M Precision Stamping. Several businesses are located in Auburn’s Technology Park, an 80-acre industrial park at the north end of the City located just 15 minutes from Exit 40 on the NYS Thruway.

Community Services

Comprehensive health and human services are in place to meet the needs of Auburn residents. Auburn Community Hospital (ACH) is located in the City and offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, including state-of-the-art medical, surgical, and rehabilitation technologies. The Hospital serves a population of approximately 80,000 and employs 800 employees and 229 medical-dental practitioners. The Human Services Coalition of Cayuga County is a network of service providers, public and private organizations, and individuals organized to address the needs of the greater-Auburn community through inter-agency coordination, information sharing and collaboration.

The City offers full-time Police and Fire Departments, curbside trash and recycling pickup, many neighborhood parks, recreation events, city sponsored summer concerts, and much more. Auburn’s economy is a healthy mix of manufacturing, service and retail industries. Employment opportunities can be found in advanced manufacturing (precision metalworking, plastics, and fiber optics), the medical industry, education, government, tourism and retail industries.

A More Sustainable Auburn

We are committed to a more sustainable Auburn for a healthier today, and for generations to come.

These initiatives include but are not limited to:

Area programs that further Auburn’s sustainable action:

Cayuga County Clean Energy Community Program 

Cayuga County Public Utility Services Agency 

Comprehensive Sustainability Energy and Development Plan

Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board Energy Management Program 

Tree City USA 

Cayuga County PACE

Energize NY Finance Program

 Have a program that you want to bring to the community? Connect with our team here

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