Cost of living in New York

New York at a glance

Median rent

$1,621

Census ACS, B25064, monthly

Median household income

$85,974

Census ACS, B19013, yearly

Median home value

$423,800

Census ACS, B25077

Median property tax bill

$6,582

Census ACS, B25103, yearly, current owners

Mean commute

33 min

Census ACS, DP03, one way

Unemployment

6.4%

Census ACS, DP03

New York's own published state rows, never an average of its counties. Prices overall run 8% above the national average (BEA regional price parity, 2024).

Figures from the 2024 release of the Census American Community Survey, checked September 2026. Health, hazard and price-level readings name their own release beside them.

The three most populous counties in New York

These are the most populous places in New York, not a match to you. Set what matters to you on Find your fit and this becomes your three closest matches here. Made-up answers work too. This is a tool, not a survey.

• Kings County

  Population

  2.63M

  Rent

  $1,833

  Household income

  $80,263

  Prop. tax (yearly)

  $6,382

  Set as targetPlan

• Queens County

  Population

  2.32M

  Rent

  $1,956

  Household income

  $86,136

  Prop. tax (yearly)

  $6,297

  Set as targetPlan

• New York County

  Population

  1.63M

  Rent

  $2,197

  Household income

  $103,931

  Prop. tax (yearly)

  —

  Set as targetPlan

New York, worth the trip

Ratified the Constitution on July 26, 1788, as the 11th state. Kingston served as the first state capital before Albany, on the Hudson River, took the role in 1797. The Bank of New York dates to 1784 and the New York Stock Exchange to 1817.

• Statue of Liberty National Monument

  The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, dedicated on October 28, 1886.

• Women's Rights National Historical Park

  The Seneca Falls site of the first Women's Rights Convention, held on July 19 and 20, 1848.

• Fire Island National Seashore

  Barrier island beaches, high dunes, an old maritime forest and historic landmarks.

History: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Each place links to the page of the agency that looks after it.

Property tax in New York

Current owners in New York pay a median 1.55% of home value a year in property tax. Example: $6,582 a year, the median bill. By county, the median bill runs from $2,440 in Franklin County to $8,494 in Orange County. These are bills that current owners pay, as the Census measures them. Each county's own figure is in the table below.

In New York state law holds assessed value growth on one to three family homes to 6% a year and 20% over five years, with no reset at sale. A buyer inherits the seller's capped value, so these owners' figures are a fair guide for a buyer too.

Health in New York

Life expectancy

79.4 yrs

County Health Rankings, from CDC NCHS vital statistics

No health insurance

5.7%

County Health Rankings, from Census SAHIE, people under 65

Poor or fair health

16.1%

County Health Rankings, from CDC BRFSS. Modeled, not counted

Injury deaths per 100K people

60

County Health Rankings, from CDC NCHS, counted deaths

Each is the figure County Health Rankings publishes for New York as a whole, never an average of its counties. Each county's own health readings are on its page.

Natural hazards in New York

Expected yearly loss, statewide

$4.3B

All natural hazards, an average year. Larger states lose more

Building loss rate

$0.98

Per $1,000 of building value, each year. Fair to compare between states

Costliest hazard

Inland flooding

$2.8B of the expected yearly loss, the largest share of any hazard FEMA assesses

Air quality

—

The EPA publishes air quality by county and metro area, never by state. It is on each county's page

FEMA publishes a risk score for counties and none for states, so none is shown here. Each county's score is on its own page.

Side by side

Kings County, NY is the largest county here. Set it beside another place, reading by reading.

All 62 counties in New York

Each has its published readings on its own page. Press a column to sort by it. Pick one, or open the map to see them shaded side by side.

Household income, home value and population are on each county's own page, and in this table on a wider screen.

Where these numbers come from

Each reading is the published figure, not an estimate. A dash means the source did not publish one, or published one too uncertain to print.

• State figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 20245-year estimates, the state's own row (tables B25064, B19013, B25077, B25103, B01003, DP03).
• County figures: the same survey, each county's own row, as on every county page.
• Price level: Bureau of Economic Analysis, regional price parities, 2024, all items, state-level.
• Health: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps 2025, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, the state's own row. Poor or fair health is a modeled estimate from CDC survey data. The other three are counted or calculated.
• Natural hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025, state table, expected annual loss. This product uses FEMA data but is not endorsed by FEMA.
• Air quality has no state figure: the EPA publishes it by county and metro area only.
• Photographs: Wikimedia Commons and the county photo feed, each credited to its photographer under its own licence, beneath the picture.