Living in Somers, New York

As a local real estate attorney with a practice located in the middle of Somers having relocated to this area in 2019, I’d like to try and share some basic thoughts about what it’s like in Somers, some intel a reader may find useful.

Basic Info

First, let’s start with the simple stuff: Somers is not that big of a town. While it doesn’t have the sleepy, small town feel that you might in smaller counties upstate New York, Somers isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis either. As of 2023, the population is 20,965. Whether you consider that big or small, I guess it depends on where you’re coming from.

In terms of land size, Somers is about 32 square miles. In terms of shape, it’s kind of a sideways triangle – here’s an image from Google Maps:

Somers, NY

If you’re in the market for a new home, Realtor.com identifies the average home price at $672,500 with a median cost/square foot of $389.

However, something to keep in mind about that statistic is Heritage Hills, a condominium development located in Somers. According the census data, there are approximately 8,144 private homes in Somers. However, there are 2,600 units alone in Heritage Hills which makes up almost a third of the total properties in Somers so the average home price in Somers is likely skewed by the average home price for Heritage Hills condos.

Amenities

Now let’s talk about amenities in Somers. Compared to more urban areas, Somers has the basics, but you may have to spend more time in the car that you would prefer to reach some of them. For instance, we have two grocery stores where you can find almost all of your weekly as well as specialty groceries. In the northern corner of the Town, you’ll find a Stop and Shop that’s large and in pretty good shape. And more centrally located near the middle of town is a DeCicco’s which, while somewhat pricey, is great for fresh foods including fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, bakery, hot bar, an upstairs bar and part-time restaurant, etc. While I say “a bit pricey,” the quality of the food is quite high so, personally, I justify paying 10%-30% more for 50%+ more flavor, but that’s me. (I’m getting older and find more satisfaction in fine foods compared to when I was younger.)

In terms of retail, what Somers lacks is a department store like a Target or Walmart. It would be nice if we had one of those two stores here in Town but we don’t, so that means  20+ minute drive down to Mount Kisco to reach the Target in that area, or an even longer drive to the Walmart in Mohegan Lake which is about 35 minutes from Somers. And while it may not sound like such a horrible drive in terms of time, keep in mind that most of the roads here in northern Westchester are two-lane roads. That’s relevant because if you get stuck behind a slow driver, you could easily add 5 to 10 minutes to any drive in this area.

Driving

While I’m on the subject, driving in this area is probably my biggest complaint. I understand it raises the inference that I’m an impatient or aggressive driver but I would disagree, at least in part. If I find myself on a two-lane road with no opportunity to pass another driver who finds it permissible to drive 5-10 MPH below the speed limit with no concern for traffic behind them, then yes, you can consider this author impatient.

The real problem, however, is infrastructure. And not just Somers, but Westchester, especially the upper half of the county, which is dominated by two-lane roads with next to no opportunity to overtake slow drivers, so it creates this breeding ground of challenging circumstances.

Setting aside a much larger and longer conversation about infrastructure (which would likely lead to taxes, politics, etc., all of which is too subjective, in my humble opinion), let’s get back to the main point. If you have Somers or other nearby towns in your target area and you consider yourself an impatient driver based on the circumstances described above, there are probably two points you might consider. First, can you adjust your level of patience while driving?

If yes, great.

If not, you may want to consider those areas closest to nearby parkways and interstates, i.e., I-684, Taconic State Parkway, Saw Mill River Parkway, etc. I say that having lived in Pleasantville where I was less than a five minute drive from the Saw Mill River Parkway, meaning I had quick access to a four-lane highway which minimized exposure to the frustrations caused by traffic associated with vast stretches of two-lane roads.

Schools

Setting aside the driving, we could talk about schools, but I’m not going to get into the Somers school system because I’m not a big believer in any kind of school ranking system. Rather, I think students get out of their education exactly what they put into it, so let’s just leave it at that. At its simplest, though, I believe the Somers school district is quite solid.

Safety

Perhaps most importantly, the overall safety in Somers is absolutely outstanding in that crime is all but nonexistent. According to Neighborhoodscout.com, Somers’ total crime index is 85 out of 100, which means it’s safer than 85% of all other U.S. cities but, based on my anecdotal experiences over the past several years, I would give Somers a crime index of 99 because I’ve never experienced or even heard of any crimes being committed in Somers. And forget porch pirates. I only know of package theft from YouTube videos becauset kind of stuff really just doesn’t happen around here so, if you’re looking for an incredibly safe area, you consider yourself a patient driver, and you don’t need a Target or Walmart closer than 20 minutes away, I would recommend keeping Somers near the top of your list.

Before we wrap up, one final note about what you’re likely to find with the majority of properties in Somers if you’re moving from a more urban area: septic systems and drilled wells.

Septic Systems & Drilled Wells

If you now live in a home with municipal water and sewer systems, the idea of buying a property without those two things may be worrisome because it’s not something with which you have any experience. It’s extremely common for our clients to voice their concerns about the use and maintenance of a septic system as well as the possibility of drilled wells running dry after closing.

Let’s tackle the latter first. Is it possible a drilled/private well might run dry? Of course. Is it likely? Not at all because Somers and all of the Hudson Valley receives a considerable amount of rain every year. And while rainfall alone does not determine whether a private well remains wet or goes dry, the water table is a significant factor, so any concerns about a well running dry is likely misplaced. 

And the same sort of goes for septic systems. Of course, it’s important to have a septic system inspected prior to purchase, preferably by a reputable septic professional. But the age of a septic system alone should not determine whether a prospective property is desirable. Rather, so long as septic systems are pumped frequently and homeowners avoid flushing non-friendly items into the system, e.g., wet wipes, one can likely avoid most of the issues that may arise and cause the need to replace a septic system, in part or in its entirety. In other words, it’s like a lot of things in life in that the cost of preventative maintenance is usually much less than the cost of repairs.

All in all, I hope that lends some practical insight into what it’s like in the Town of Somers. If you’re buying or selling in Somers or nearby and in need of a local real estate attorney, please call or email our office and we’ll be happy to help.