/ “The Upside” Blog / 5 Reasons to Relocate to Warren County, NY

5 Reasons to Relocate to Warren County, NY

Live like you’re on vacation! Our region consists of growing communities, a gorgeous natural environment, and a robust job market. Living and working in Warren County can sometimes feel like you are on a permanent vacation, especially if you have the freedom to work remotely.

We have broken down our top 5 reasons why you should relocate to Warren County. Looking out over a gorgeous scenic vista onto lake george and its islands.

1. Unparalleled natural beauty

Warren County is nestled directly within the southern portion of Adirondack Park. The park is a sprawling 6 million acres of wilderness containing pristine lakes, majestic mountains, and thriving communities. Here you will find a slower pace than city life, where being outdoors is in balance with being in the workplace.

It’s not uncommon to see remote workers busy on the clock in their staff meeting out on a boat, taking a call in a comfy Adirondack chair looking out over a lake, or on their laptop in a quaint coffee shop, sitting on an overstuffed couch. Our area’s ever-expanding broadband network allows employers and employees alike to work in a fresh-air environment while maintaining a strong emphasis on work-life balance.

Warren County is home to the Queen of American Lakes, Lake George which provides boundless recreational opportunities throughout all four seasons. The area is surrounded by the 46 high peaks of the Adirondack Mountains which contain 3,000 ponds, as well as numerous lakes and streams to explore. Each community contains well-maintained, family-friendly public parks. The county also has paved and unpaved bike paths and 2,000 miles of hiking trails.

You can’t go anywhere in Warren County without stumbling across a postcard-worthy view. Whether it’s the idyllic downtown charm of one of our towns, the sunset over the high peaks, or the colorful bursts of foliage of the fall. In Warren County, New York, there is no shortage of scenic views to be had all year round.

2. Safe, affordable, and fun

Adding to the robust quality of life in the region is the county’s embrace of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, artists, and special events. Small businesses and large tech industries both have space to thrive here. There are many incentives to start or expand a business here such as:

The region hosts countless arts and cultural events throughout the year. Glens Falls in particular has a thriving arts scene. From museums to theaters, galleries to concerts, Glens Falls offers a wide variety to choose from. Culture, history, fine art, music, theater, educational programs, and events make Glens Falls the “unexpected arts mecca” of the region.

Glens Falls’ vibrant arts community enriches the lives of residents and draws thousands of visitors every year. Within a single square mile, 14 arts and cultural organizations brighten the City scene in the newly-established Arts District.

Cultural offerings in Warren County enrich the quality of life. Here are just a few of the highlights of what the region offers:

Warren County is also a safe and affordable place to live. The most recent statistics by the National Association of Realtors show the median sales price of existing family homes in the Glens Falls MSA to be significantly lower than in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA. This indicates that living in Warren County, on the northern edge of the Greater Capital Region, has significant financial advantages for primary residence housing.

There is a wide variety of housing stock to choose from including downtown city living, tree-lined streets, suburban neighborhoods, lake homes, mountain and hamlet housing, and more. There are a large number of second homes in the northern rural towns, especially near lakes and mountains.

According to CrimeGrade.org, Warren County is in the 99th percentile for safety in the United States, meaning 1% of counties are safer and 99% of counties are more dangerous. Warren County ranks safer in violent crime and property crime than its neighboring areas.

3.Year-round recreation opportunities

Within Warren County itself, stretching from scenic waters of Lake George in the east to the rugged ski and snowboard terrain of Gore Mountain in the west, and in countless wilderness areas in between, Warren County is the place

where the region’s leaders, workers, and innovators relax and recharge with recreation and relaxation. Recently, Redbook listed Lake George as one of the “Most Picturesque Lakes” in the United States.

As we mentioned previously, most of Warren County lies within the Adirondack State Park, the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States, greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Park combined.

The Adirondack Park contains:

6 million acres of public and private land
2,000 miles of New York hiking trails
3,000 lakes (including Lake George)
30,000 miles of rivers and streams, and a wide variety of habitats
46 peaks over 4,000 feet among more than 100 peaks in the park

In addition to the Adirondack Park’s natural features, Warren County’s recreation options include:

The Lake George area, offering recreation in all four seasons of the year
Access to world-class regional golf courses, including The Sagamore and Saratoga National Golf Course
Six Flags Great Escape is one of the nation’s premier amusement parks, offering rides for thrill-seekers and year-round fun at its indoor water park in Queensbury
Two renowned alpine ski centers: West Mountain (Queensbury) and Gore Mountain (North Creek), which provides the most skiable acreage in New York State, 2537’ vertical drop on 94 trails including 19 glades. Both ski centers have warm-weather activities such as mountain biking, adventure activities
A network of snowmobile trails spanning 200 miles, linking up with a network of trails across the Northeast; Snowmobile New York offers an interactive map online depicting all snowmobile trails within New York as well as other amenities along those trails
Municipal trails for cross-country skiing, cycling, and mountain biking and private Nordic ski centers
More than 30 camping facilities
Dude ranches and horseback riding

4.Skilled workforce and job opportunities

Warren County is home to a growing and highly skilled workforce. An impressive list of 35 institutions of post-high-school education exist within 50 miles of Glens Falls, New York, preparing a 21st-century workforce pipeline for employers who locate and expand here.

Approximately 90,000 students attend a wide range of educational experiences, ranging from career and vocational schools providing certificates or associate degrees in specific career-focused topics to liberal arts colleges and universities granting professional and doctoral degrees.

Leading technical education and training programs in the Capital Region include:

Hudson Valley Community College in Troy (with its new science and technology center, aimed at training mid-level skilled workers for science-related technical and manufacturing jobs), and its TEC-SMART campus in Malta, New York (the Training and Education Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Alternative Renewable Technologies).
Schenectady County Community College, where the Nanoscale Materials Technology program provides students a foundation in materials science, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and electronics.
SUNY Adirondack, a Warren County community college, with a Tech Valley Track that offers degrees in engineering, science, computer science, information technology, computer networking, mechanical technology, electrical technology, and more.
Apprentice programs like the Local 773 Regional Training Center for plumbers and pipefitters Glens Falls support local economic growth by training the workforce needed by industry in the area.

Top private sector employers in Warren County, New York:

Glens Falls Hospital (health care): 2,800
BD Becton Dickinson (Former C.R. Bard) (medical devices): 785
Finch Paper (paper manufacturing): 700
Hudson Headwaters Health Network (health care): 650
AngioDynamics (medical devices): 560
Sagamore Resort (hospitality/tourism): 500
Glens Falls National Bank (banking/finance): 470
Community, Work, and Independence, Inc./CWI (human services): 450
Nielsen (media entertainment data): 400
Gross Electric (electrical contractor): 350
Medline/NAMIC (medical devices): 330
Barton Group (garnet mining/abrasives): 170
Ames Goldsmith (silver refining/fabrication): 110

Data updated through May 2020

Top manufacturing companies in Warren County, New York:

BD Becton Dickinson (Formerly C.R. Bard) (medical devices): 785
Finch Paper (paper manufacturing): 700
AngioDynamics (medical devices): 560
Medline/NAMIC (medical devices): 330
Barton Group (garnet abrasives): 170
Ames Goldsmith (silver flake): 110

Data updated through May 2020

Top professional services companies in Warren County, New York:

Glens Falls Hospital (health care): 2,800
Hudson Headwaters Health Network (health care): 650
Glens Falls National Bank (banking): 470
Nielsen (media & entertainment data): 350
Travelers (insurance): 350
McKesson Corporation (medical billing): 275
Cool Insuring Agency (insurance): 105

5.Location, location, location

Not only does Warren County’s location provide a wide geographic range and all four seasons but it is strategically located on the northern rim of the Capital Region along the I-87 corridor. Along with access to highways, AlbanyInternational Airport is just 45 minutes south. Furthermore, Warren County is within 200 miles of New York City, Boston, and Montreal.

The area is also a hub for manufacturing and technology which have been driving the Capital Region’s economy for more than a century, and they continue to run smart and strong. Backed by research and development centers at the Colleges of Nanoscale Science & Engineering at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, GE Global Research, Albany Medical Center, The Wadsworth Center, and the Pharmaceutical Research Institute, local companies in Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Hudson, Catskill, Saratoga Springs, and Glens Falls are able to retain their competitive advantages in the global marketplace.

Warren County’s location on the southern rim of the Adirondack Park means that the county is within easy reach of abundant natural resources such as timber, wood, waterways, mining, and a variety of quarried materials. Neighboring Washington County provides a host of agricultural products such as dairy, cheeses, and fresh produce.

These are only our top 5 reasons to relocate to Warren County. The list is truly endless. Come visit us! Explore our communities, wander through our wilderness, recreate on our land, and you’ll see for yourself why so many people choose Warren County to raise their family and their business.