An unaffordable yet essential price tag

Life in Brockport can sometimes seem predictable: shopping at the same stores, eating at the same restaurants, and attending the same community events. What isn’t predictable is the rising cost of these routines. Everyday expenses in Brockport are piling up as pressure mounts on budgets across the village. From rising grocery and housing costs to utilities and transportation, these expenses are straining household budgets and forcing Brockport residents to cut back on spending.

“The economy as a whole is broken at every level,” Brockport resident Babs Smith said. “Current government policies have put every citizen in a permanent economic squeeze. I am on fixed income and every month my savings get smaller simply from buying groceries and paying utilities.”

Smith is not alone in this struggle. According to the Brockport Downtown Strategic Investing Plan

(BDSTP), the Brockport NY Forward area, a designated downtown planning area, has a median household income of just $28,600, suggesting broader economic challenges in the community. Additionally, 36 percent of Brockport households in the specific planning area are cost-burdened, meaning more than 30 percent of their income goes to housing.

The Brockport NY Forward Study Area, first published to the public in December 2025. (Brockport, N.Y/N.Y. Forward) “I want to leave New York because it is no longer economically feasible to stay,” Brockport resident Jenn Drost said. “All my money goes to rent, utilities and gas. Never mind trying to buy food. Cost of living goes up, wages stay the same.”

In 2024, 14% of New York Households faced financial hardship, living below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). An additional 34% of Households fell below the United for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold, defined as not earning enough to cover basic expenses in the county where they live. Together, these figures put an estimated 48% of households below the ALICE threshold, higher than the 41% national average.

This financial pressure makes it increasingly difficult to budget for necessities. It forces people to make impossible choices, such as paying for utilities, refilling their gas tank, or feeding their families.

A major insecurity Brockport residents face is a lack of affordable food. However, Brockport’s ALDI location, which first opened in 2016, has proven to be somewhat of an equalizer, offering better pricing than more expensive Brockport staples.

“Brockport has many alternatives to high-priced stores like Wegmans,” Smith said. “Adding an ALDI here makes my grocery budget go farther.”

The Brockport ALDI supermarket providing Brockport residents a cheaper alternative for food, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Nicholas Wright) Makenna Cady is a SUNY Brockport student who lives off campus in the village. In her first months living without the stability of on-campus amenities, she has followed a pattern similar to Smith’s.

“We do the majority of our shopping at ALDI,” Cady said. “It is our largest personal expense, but we don’t consider it expensive.”

People have debated healthcare and access to prescriptions and medications throughout several election cycles. Like her grocery shopping, Smith has opted to avoid the larger stores, choosing cheaper shipping alternatives instead.“I have gone to using shipping pharmacies instead of our local CVS due to the reduction in costs,” Smith said. “Per my medical plan, I use Express Scripts.”

Beyond food and drug alternatives, used markets have exploded as prices skyrocketed across most forms of entertainment and luxury items. The ongoing war with Iran has pushed energy prices even higher, and businesses have passed those hikes on to consumers, making it harder to spend on goods and services. Smith has found that thrift stores and local markets offer her the best value.

“I often use Facebook Marketplace for items I need rather than buy new,” Smith said. “Our many local thrift stores are my go-to for my grandkids, for both clothing and toys. I am satisfied that I am spending less, so I have adequate income to pay utilities and gas, which are non-negotiable costs.”

The entrance of the Brockport Goodwill thrift store and donation center on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Nicholas Wright) In addition to shopping in alternative markets, Smith recognizes the importance of local businesses.

“I am happy to see most of the downtown mom-and-pop shops keeping open,” Smith says. I do try to buy local whenever possible. I feel keeping the dollars here can only help the prosperity of our community.”

For Smith, stretching a fixed income means more complicated budgeting and expenses that are hard to avoid. Shopping secondhand and choosing lower-cost markets offers some relief, but it won’t eliminate the pressure of paying for everyday necessities. With Brockport residents now facing rising costs of living, choices matter far beyond the kitchen table.

“I have already voted and the economy has me worried every day,” Smith said. “I am hoping that we can see some change with more winners that can put aside the divide to turn down the volume on the wrong focus of party lines, and highlight the human beings.”

A list of New York State midterm election results, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (PHOTO/https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/new-york-results/) (AP News) Unlike Smith, Drost has already lost hope that any real change will happen, whether in local or state government.

“Frankly, I feel like voting in New York is pointless,” Drost said. “None of them (New York representatives) do what they claim they will and New York City controls the state.”

The 2026 New York State Governor’s race results between Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman and incumbent Democratic candidate Kathy Hochul, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (PHOTO/https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/new-york-results/) (AP News) Following a historic 2026 midterm election cycle, the Democratic Party took majority control of the House and the Senate and won key battleground states such as Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul was re-elected and U.S. Rep. Joseph D. Morelle also won re-election in New York’s District 25, which covers Monroe and Ontario County. Additionally, incumbent Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli won re-election, as did incumbent state Attorney General Letitia James.

For Brockport residents, the potential for economic relief is uncertain. Although affordability initiatives have been central for Democratic lawmakers heading into 2027, residents such as Smith and Drost still face strict budgets and have to stretch their dollars as far as possible.

The routines which they have grown accustomed to are becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain. For residents on a fixed income, the question is not how to save money here and there, but how long they can afford their daily routines in the village.

An unaffordable yet essential price tag

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