8 Wallet-Friendly Small Towns To Retire In The Finger Lakes

Retirement is the best phase of life. So, there's no reason to plant your roots in a drab and dull location with zero outdoor beauty and widely dispersed amenities. The truth is that you should spend your golden years in a lush place with glittering lakes, tongue-tingling wineries, and verdant valleys. Yet, the Finger Lakes region of the United States goes a step further. The area is dotted with major cities, such as Rochester and Syracuse, allowing you to access a wide range of amenities and cultural attractions at your convenience. The best part is that you don't have to pay top dollar. These towns boast median home prices below the New York State median sale price, approximately between $482,742 and $586,400 as of late 2025. Discover these eight wallet-friendly small towns to retire in the Finger Lakes.

Auburn

Auburn sits at the northern end of Owasco Lake, an area of sleepy beauty and relaxing atmosphere. Auburn is known for its grand old homes like the Seward House, home of William H. Seward, Secretary of State in the administrations of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. A retiree here can always grab a front-row seat to summer college baseball, waterfront recreation, and awesome theaters. You will find informative museums with interesting exhibits and enjoyable annual events, particularly the annual Great Race celebration, a summer classic where young and old, serious racers and beginners alike, compete for glory or the pursuit of fun and fitness.

And with places like Owasco Lake, Emerson Park, where one can occasionally reel in a yummy catch, and the Auburn Movieplex 10, loved for its reclining seats, Auburn leaves nothing to chance. Also, although Auburn Community Hospital is in town, other excellent healthcare options are in nearby Syracuse. Finally, you can't believe that in August 2025, the median listing home price in Auburn was $254,900, while the median sold price was $186,000, a tiny fraction of the state median.

Hammondsport

Hammondsport, or Hammond's port, is the best proof in the world that bigger is not always better. This location is home to fewer than a thousand residents, but they are some of the luckiest souls, especially considering the amenities and attractions in the area. From fantastic wine spots like Bully Hill Vineyards, where you can be sipping a sparkling Pinot Noir and enjoying beautiful scenery to Keuka Lake Vineyards, where high-quality Rieslings and Cabernet Francs dazzle the taste buds with all kinds of flavours to Birdseye Hollow State Forest, which offers epic hunting and hiking opportunities, Hammondsport is a place that will always want to yank you from your unhealthy couche.

Not just that. Urbana State Forest features quiet forest trails to occasionally explore, while Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital, constructed between January 1936 and January 1937, is right next door in Bath. The town's median sold home price is currently $442,000, which is lower than the statewide median.

Corning

Corning has the distinction of being one of the most affordable locations in the Finger Lakes region, and to a large extent, the entire northeast. Consider that in August 2025, the median sold home price in Corning was $205,000. Surprisingly, affordability is not the Crystal City's only appeal.

Of course, Corning hosts the world-famous Corning Museum of Glass, a phenomenal space for appreciating glass art and history. There's also Corning Country Club, a spectacular 18-hole Thomas Winton-designed golf course, whose history dates back to 1919, the 45-mile Chemung River, a decent fishing venue to regularly drop a line, and the iconic Palace Theatre, the go-to spot for a mood-lifting show. For any pesky flu, Guthrie Corning Hospital is right in town and has been meeting the medical needs of the community for over a century.

Canandaigua

Canandaigua literally means "the chosen spot,” and you can't just dismiss a place with such a name. The area is neat and nicely laid back and, above all, a short 30-minute drive from Rochester. This means you can easily access awesome cultural attractions like the George Eastman Museum, the world’s oldest museum dedicated to photography, and top-notch amenities like Rochester General Hospital, a 528-bed tertiary care hospital with a long history of service in the region.

Still, the highly rated F.F. Thompson Hospital is some two corners away. You can spend time at places like Canandaigua City Pier, Kershaw Park, a cool place for a mid-morning stroll, and the Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park, an idyllic place to escape reality for a while, and just bask in nature's heart-melting beauty. In August 2025, the median sold home price is currently $450,000.

Ithaca

You will fall in love with Ithaca if you fancy a relatively young population with top-notch cultural attractions, a robust dining scene, and an epic outdoor landscape. Ithaca is not just among the most beautiful small towns in the world. It also hosts one of the most prestigious universities on the planet. Cornell's stunning campus features several sizzling attractions, including the 200-acre Cornell Botanic Gardens, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, which houses one of the finest collections of art in the entire state, and the Liberty Hyde Bailey Conservatory.

Ithaca’s Lifelong Program offers Tompkins County retirees a wide range of classes, field trips, and travel-study opportunities. From a day trip to a regional attraction to a 10-day study tour of a foreign country, this program engages older adults who want to stay active mentally, physically, creatively, and socially. Otherwise, with the heart-melting Taughannock Falls, the incredibly beautiful Robert Treman State Park, and the award-winning Cayuga Medical Center, which is right in town, retirement here is all about comfort and adventure. As of August 2025, the median sold home price in Ithaca is $402,500.

Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen is simply known as “the Glen” and is quietly tucked away at the southernmost end of Seneca Lake, the largest of the Finger Lakes. The lake is often considered a top contender for the most beautiful in the region due to its stunning landscapes, deep, clear waters, and scenic byway.

There's the world-famous race track, the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, which draws more than half a million visitors each year to sample the fruits of the local vintners’ labors, and, above all, the extraordinary Watkins Glen State Park, which, according to new Google Maps data, is the most visited state park in America in 2025. Also, while seasoned anglers will enjoy spending time at the Lake Trout Capital of the World, bird lovers will enjoy watching bald eagles and ospreys at the Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area. The median sold home price in Watkins Glen is currently $250,000. On healthcare access, Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital is a soft whisper away.

Seneca Falls

Even if you don't have any idea about who Elizabeth Cady Stanton was and the role she played to shape the history of human rights, or other names like Lucretia Mott, Frederick Douglass, or Susan B. Anthony, Seneca Falls will still feel hypnotic. There's the award-winning Northeast College of Health Sciences, one of the most prestigious chiropractic colleges in the United States, the trout-filled Cayuga Lake, a popular spot for fishing derbies, and the adjoining state park, where one can rest, boat, fish, or just listen to the rustling of the leaves.

As if that is not enough, Van Cleef Lake, a tranquil body of water that feeds the area’s locks, also features alluring views and a cool, peaceful atmosphere. If worried about healthcare access, the 132-bed Geneva General Hospital (GGH) was founded in the 1890s and provides both primary and specialty care services to area residents. The best part is that houses fetch a median sold price of just $199,000, well below the state median.

Geneva

Geneva is a charming and picturesque community on the northern rim of Seneca Lake, where award-winning wines, the romance of an 18th-century castle, and a variety of farm-to-table restaurants are outstanding features. Keep in mind that Geneva is also a mecca for bicyclists, especially because of the area's flat, rural roads and near-zero traffic. The median sold home price in Geneva is currently $215,000.

For any resilient body ache, Geneva General Hospital is right in town and is a recipient of the Get With The Guidelines Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award. The best part is that you don't have to be brooding indoors. You can always catch an afternoon show at the iconic Smith Opera House, explore the Seneca Lake State Park, which is set against the backdrop of scenic Seneca Lake, or practice your swings at the Geneva Country Club Golf Course, one of the oldest country clubs in the Empire State.

Montour Falls

One reason not to overlook Montour Falls is its insanely pocket-friendly median listing price. Currently, the median listing home price in Montour Falls is $190,000, which is a bargain compared to what a retiree can get in return. For example, consider that Seneca Lake is just 5 minutes down the road, there's fantastic access to the Watkins Glen State Park, one of the best outdoor spots in North America, and the nearby Havana Glen Park, which offers a nice pavilion and lovely trails for a mid-week stroll.

For those who enjoy chasing waterfalls, Shequaga Falls is a 165-foot water wonder that drops dramatically at the end of Main Street. If you feel a bit under the weather, Schuyler Hospital has been a staple of the Montour Falls community for over 50 years.

So, if you are about to pull the plug on your work life and start a phase of life that is free and spontaneous, there's no reason to pour all your savings into an expensive home. Of course, unless you are a celebrity jet-setter. You can find a beautiful spot in the Finger Lakes region of the United States and grab a waterfront property at a fraction of what you would fork out in similar places. The bonus is that you will be a heartbeat away from award-winning wineries and some of the most scenic lakes on the planet.