Coming Home
Cost of Living
The median home cost is $60,200 with obvious
areas of higher costs in the villages and for custom built homes. About
9,000 homes fall in the $50,000 to $90,000 range and 1,813 in the $100,000
to $149,000 range. About 7,000 fall in the less than $50,000 range.
Apartment rentals vary from community to community. The median rent in
2000 was about $425 per month. House rentals can range from $600 to $1,000
per month.
Most homes are heated with fuel oil or kerosene followed by utility gas.
Fuel prices per therm is about: $1.16 for natural gas, $2.64 to $2.74
for fuel oil, $2.07 for propane, $2.94 to $3.04 for kerosene, $2.79 electric,
$1.46 municipal electric. For up-to-date please contact the local fuel
and utility
companies.
Property taxes vary from town to town, and within a village additional
tax can be added for services.
Visit the St. Lawrence County
Board of Realtors Web site for more details.
Education
Elementary and secondary: St. Lawrence County has 17 public school districts
and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) also operates
for technical centers for trade education. Please select a school district
from the following list to see the schools in that district.
Higher Education: Four colleges with a combined enrollment
of over 12,000 students make St. Lawrence County a cultural and intellectual
destination. Visit the three other colleges in St. Lawrence County:
Clarkson University
State University of New York at Canton
State University of New York at Potsdam
Health Care
Canton-Potsdam
Hospital: provides comprehensive acute medical-surgical
care and emergency care, and has widely recognized programs in chemical
dependency treatment, cardiac care, obstetrics, and physical rehabilitation
services. The Hospital operates the Warner Cancer Treatment Center.
With the main Hospital campus in Potsdam, the Hospital also provides
services in Canton, Norfolk, and Richville. The medical staff of 55
physicians includes specialists in 25 areas, including 11 surgical specialties.
Claxton-Hepburn Medical
Center is a private, not-for-profit, 159-bed community
hospital and regional referral center. Claxton-Hepburn now includes
87 acute care beds, a 28-bed Residential Health Care Facility, a 29-bed
mental health center, and a 15-bed acute rehabilitation unit. Claxton-Hepburn
has an active medical staff of more than 40 physicians representing
almost all specialties.
United Helpers Canton
Nursing Home is one of the finest Residential Health Care facilities
in Northern New York. This 160 bed facility offers attractive courtyards
and gardens with a real sense of community. 315-386-4541
Partridge Knoll, modeled after a grand Adirondack lodge,
is the first full service independent retirement community in St. Lawrence
County. It offers a wide variety of apartment styles and services. 315-379-1428
Recreation
Community friends can purchase St.
Lawrence University Fitness Club memberships, giving access to the
amazing indoor and outdoor facilities of the University. These include
a 133-station fitness center, two indoor tracks, indoor tennis and squash
courts, an indoor pool, and training staff.
SLU also has a hockey rink that features open skating during
the winter, outdoor tennis courts, and a running trail. Two golf courses
serve Canton, one owned by and adjacent to the University; it's a great
place to cross-country ski in the winter. A three-mike walking-biking-running
trail is maintained in Canton. The Grasse River is a favorite canoeing
venue.
Food
Chain grocery stores include P&C located in Canton, Potsdam,
Massena and Ogdensburg, and Price Chopper in Ogdensburg. Smaller independents
are located in most communities. From late spring to late fall, the
Canton Farmers' Market has many regional vendors of produce, cheese,
meats, flowers, and crafts, all offering the freshest array of products.
Weather
St. Lawrence County generally has mild
winters, located north of the Lake Effect snow belt, the mean snowfall
is 66 inches. Temperatures in the summer range from 70-100 degrees Fahrenheit.
In January the mean temp is 18 degrees. Growing season is about 163 days
with the last frost between April 30 and May 10. First frost in the fall
can be expected between Sept. 30 and Oct. 10.
Resources:
St. Lawrence County Chamber
of Commerce
Canton Chamber of Commerce
Canton, New York
St. Lawrence University's Location
Web site
St. Lawrence University's Web site for Visitors
Information source: St. Lawrence Country Chamber of
Commerce
