What it's like to live in Suffern
Suffern is a small city in New York with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Suffern deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
How Suffern compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Suffern
Based on Suffern's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,182
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $83,640 a year
- 45% of Suffern renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$76,420
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,210
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 48% above US
$2,091/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,091 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $382,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $382,100 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Rockland County is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Rockland County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 66% below US
112 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 674/100k · Suffern Village Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 10% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 20% above US
43% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 43% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (14 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Suffern's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($2,091/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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