New York County · New York · Northeast · 8.5M residents
New York, NY: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for New York: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the New York median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in New York is $785,000, 51% above the New York median. A two-bedroom rents for about $4,300/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 168 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $76,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A city of neighborhoods that turned scale into a culture of its own.
Known for: Broadway, museums, food, immigrant neighborhoods, and an always-on arts calendar.
Calendar note: The city calendar includes borough parades, outdoor concerts, and the Tribeca Festival.
Story source: NYC Tourism + Conventions
- Scale: A major population center with more than one million residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places New York about 15 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 224 sunny days and 30 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 88 and an average commute of 41 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare New York side by side
Cost of living index
168
Median home value
$785,000
2-bedroom rent
$4,300/mo
Median household income
$76,000
Housing momentum
How fast New York's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
82/100
Heating
Ranks New York's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by New York's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $785,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $780 |
| Property tax rate | 0.9% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $3,700/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $4,300/mo |
| State & local income tax | 7.67% |
| Sales tax | 8.88% |
| Cost of living index | 168 |
| Groceries index | 116 |
| Utilities | $195/mo |
| Transit pass | $132/mo |
| Gas price | $3.30/gal |
| Healthcare index | 112 |
| Childcare (per child) | $2,400/mo |
| Median household income | $76,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5% |
| Population | 8.5M |
| Crime index | 47/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 88/100 |
| Disaster risk | 99/100 |
| Avg. commute | 41 min |
| Sunny days / year | 224 days |
| July high | 85°F |
| January low | 28°F |
| Annual snowfall | 30 in |
| Home price YoY | +4.2% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +5.7% |
| Rent MoM | +0.6% |
| Ocean coast | 15 mi |
| Big lake | 59 mi |
| Mountains | 74 mi |
| Major airport | 7 mi |
| Ski resort | 74 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Mount Vernon, NY · 72k
- Yonkers, NY · 210k
- Floral Park, NY · 16k
- Elmont, NY · 37k
- North Valley Stream, NY · 18k
Similar size
- Buffalo, NY · 277k
- Rochester, NY · 209k
- Syracuse, NY · 146k
- Albany, NY · 100k
- New Rochelle, NY · 83k
Real listings in New York
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in New York, NY?
- New York indexes at 168 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $4,300/mo and a median home value of $785,000.
- How much does a house cost in New York?
- The median home value in New York is $785,000, 51% above the New York median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in New York?
- A two-bedroom in New York rents for about $4,300/mo.