St. Lawrence County is second-highest on a list ranking U.S. counties where buying a house is cheaper in the long run than renting your living space.

The counties were ranked using several criteria, including low average monthly mortgage payments relative to monthly rent, favorable tax structure, relatively low home values, and other factors that favor home ownership, according to New York City-based SmartAsset.com.

SmartAsset.com describes itself as a “financial technology company that provides transparent, automated, and accurate advice on big personal finance decisions.” A link to the study can be found by clicking here.

The ultimate criterion was the “breakeven year,” after which buying becomes cheaper than renting.

In St. Lawrence County, that break-even point came at two years.

Among the figures that went into the calculations were an average monthly mortgage payment county-wide of $271, average monthly rent of $1,036, and average house sale price of $66,834.

Eight of the top 10 counties in the U.S. where renting could be cheaper than buying are in New York, with Allegany County, in New York’s Southern Tier, in first place, and Cattaraugus County, south of Buffalo, in third sport.

Other North Country New York counties in the top 10 are Franklin, fourth, Clinton, eighth, and Oswego, ninth.

Counties outside New York in the top 10 are in South Carolina and Georgia.