New York, NY
Census place 3651000 · pop 8,483,844
The most populous U.S. city and home to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
40 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
32.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.55 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$4,049/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
6.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$777,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
17.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
96/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
28.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
2 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$80,483 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
42 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.84% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
41.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
25.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Not measured for New York: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is New York, NY a good place to live?
- By the numbers, New York scores 33/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is commute time. New York overall ranks #48 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is New York, NY expensive to live in?
- New York has a median home value of $777,600 and typical rent around $4,049/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in New York, NY?
- Its weakest measured area is commute time (40 min) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is New York, NY best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (25.1%) — 91/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: The most populous U.S. city and home to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.