County housing intelligence
New York Housing Market by County
New York is not one housing market. Across 62 counties, the median county home value is $189,000 and the median county rent is $986/mo. The useful question is not whether New York is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$189,000
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$986/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
62
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The New York Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
New York County, Kings County, Queens County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, St. Lawrence County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Suffolk County, Nassau County, New York County lead on rent, while Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, Wyoming County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, St. Lawrence County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Allegany County
$101,700
- 2. Cattaraugus County
$113,100
- 3. St. Lawrence County
$121,900
- 4. Chautauqua County
$127,900
- 5. Chenango County
$137,900
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Allegany County
1.6x home-value-to-income
- 2. Cattaraugus County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 3. St. Lawrence County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 4. Orleans County
2.1x home-value-to-income
- 5. Steuben County
2.1x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Allegany County
$763/mo
- 2. Cattaraugus County
$770/mo
- 3. Wyoming County
$802/mo
- 4. Chautauqua County
$812/mo
- 5. St. Lawrence County
$818/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Franklin County
24.2% rent burden
- 2. Yates County
24.2% rent burden
- 3. Fulton County
25.0% rent burden
- 4. Lewis County
25.0% rent burden
- 5. Wyoming County
25.8% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Kings County
0.71% effective tax rate
- 2. Queens County
0.87% effective tax rate
- 3. New York County
0.92% effective tax rate
- 4. Richmond County
0.92% effective tax rate
- 5. Hamilton County
1.00% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Jefferson County
$117/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Queens County
$88/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Chemung County
$85/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Hamilton County
$51/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Chautauqua County
$4/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Allegany County
$62,869 income, 1.6x value-to-income
- 2. Putnam County
$126,257 income, 3.7x value-to-income
- 3. St. Lawrence County
$62,850 income, 1.9x value-to-income
- 4. Tioga County
$72,739 income, 2.2x value-to-income
- 5. Wayne County
$74,506 income, 2.3x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Allegany County $101,700 home value, $62,869 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Allegany County $101,700 home value, 2.92% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Rockland County $1,901/mo rent, 37.40% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | New York County $1,090,500 home value, $103,931 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Lowest rents
Compare Every New York County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany County | $101,700 | $763/mo | $62,869 | 1.6x | 2.92% |
| Cattaraugus County | $113,100 | $770/mo | $59,540 | 1.9x | 2.64% |
| St. Lawrence County | $121,900 | $818/mo | $62,850 | 1.9x | 2.33% |
| Orleans County | $140,800 | $874/mo | $65,969 | 2.1x | 2.72% |
| Steuben County | $137,900 | $894/mo | $65,887 | 2.1x | 2.46% |
| Chautauqua County | $127,900 | $812/mo | $58,351 | 2.2x | 2.27% |
| Chemung County | $141,100 | $1,059/mo | $63,716 | 2.2x | 2.45% |
| Chenango County | $137,900 | $875/mo | $62,948 | 2.2x | 2.26% |
| Franklin County | $145,400 | $843/mo | $65,151 | 2.2x | 1.68% |
| Herkimer County | $147,700 | $823/mo | $68,515 | 2.2x | 2.10% |
| Oswego County | $151,700 | $967/mo | $69,183 | 2.2x | 2.40% |
| Tioga County | $160,800 | $928/mo | $72,739 | 2.2x | 2.33% |
| Cortland County | $162,100 | $984/mo | $70,418 | 2.3x | 2.56% |
| Genesee County | $170,500 | $929/mo | $73,314 | 2.3x | 2.41% |
| Seneca County | $155,400 | $957/mo | $68,089 | 2.3x | 2.19% |
| Wayne County | $170,000 | $938/mo | $74,506 | 2.3x | 2.50% |
| Wyoming County | $162,300 | $802/mo | $69,110 | 2.3x | 2.25% |
| Lewis County | $166,100 | $837/mo | $68,182 | 2.4x | 1.62% |
| Livingston County | $174,600 | $931/mo | $74,001 | 2.4x | 2.45% |
| Madison County | $184,600 | $928/mo | $75,499 | 2.4x | 2.26% |
| Montgomery County | $157,500 | $940/mo | $64,943 | 2.4x | 2.46% |
| Broome County | $154,900 | $941/mo | $62,616 | 2.5x | 2.52% |
| Cayuga County | $171,000 | $942/mo | $67,904 | 2.5x | 2.19% |
| Clinton County | $180,600 | $1,003/mo | $71,224 | 2.5x | 2.00% |
| Fulton County | $163,100 | $912/mo | $66,533 | 2.5x | 2.06% |
| Schuyler County | $171,800 | $899/mo | $67,663 | 2.5x | 1.97% |
| Oneida County | $182,600 | $944/mo | $70,154 | 2.6x | 2.02% |
| Onondaga County | $200,200 | $1,108/mo | $76,945 | 2.6x | 2.44% |
| Otsego County | $179,100 | $987/mo | $68,885 | 2.6x | 1.70% |
| Yates County | $184,700 | $834/mo | $69,701 | 2.6x | 1.88% |
| Niagara County | $189,800 | $899/mo | $69,633 | 2.7x | 2.19% |
| Ontario County | $222,900 | $1,150/mo | $82,324 | 2.7x | 2.05% |
| Schoharie County | $192,500 | $909/mo | $70,133 | 2.7x | 2.03% |
| Washington County | $196,200 | $1,033/mo | $73,495 | 2.7x | 2.01% |
| Jefferson County | $188,200 | $1,213/mo | $66,301 | 2.8x | 1.54% |
| Monroe County | $213,700 | $1,173/mo | $76,382 | 2.8x | 2.63% |
| Delaware County | $183,100 | $880/mo | $63,337 | 2.9x | 1.72% |
| Rensselaer County | $258,400 | $1,217/mo | $87,915 | 2.9x | 2.05% |
| Essex County | $211,900 | $934/mo | $71,661 | 3.0x | 1.47% |
| Schenectady County | $235,700 | $1,194/mo | $79,623 | 3.0x | 2.36% |
| Erie County | $233,800 | $1,090/mo | $72,839 | 3.2x | 1.98% |
| Sullivan County | $249,000 | $1,106/mo | $72,382 | 3.4x | 2.00% |
| Warren County | $267,400 | $1,105/mo | $78,442 | 3.4x | 1.47% |
| Albany County | $294,600 | $1,313/mo | $85,333 | 3.5x | 1.77% |
| Greene County | $271,600 | $1,004/mo | $77,945 | 3.5x | 1.49% |
| Saratoga County | $348,600 | $1,394/mo | $100,787 | 3.5x | 1.40% |
| Putnam County | $471,300 | $1,775/mo | $126,257 | 3.7x | 2.12% |
| Hamilton County | $260,200 | $912/mo | $68,835 | 3.8x | 1.00% |
| Tompkins County | $290,900 | $1,411/mo | $74,024 | 3.9x | 2.24% |
| Dutchess County | $400,600 | $1,582/mo | $99,478 | 4.0x | 1.89% |
| Orange County | $387,900 | $1,680/mo | $97,178 | 4.0x | 2.19% |
| Ulster County | $352,500 | $1,425/mo | $86,271 | 4.1x | 1.77% |
| Columbia County | $347,100 | $1,260/mo | $81,528 | 4.3x | 1.40% |
| Suffolk County | $578,400 | $2,255/mo | $130,686 | 4.4x | 1.73% |
| Nassau County | $684,700 | $2,252/mo | $146,202 | 4.7x | 1.46% |
| Rockland County | $596,900 | $1,901/mo | $109,959 | 5.4x | 1.68% |
| Westchester County | $663,200 | $1,951/mo | $118,976 | 5.6x | 1.51% |
| Richmond County | $675,500 | $1,733/mo | $98,333 | 6.9x | 0.92% |
| Queens County | $723,800 | $1,956/mo | $86,136 | 8.4x | 0.87% |
| New York County | $1,090,500 | $2,197/mo | $103,931 | 10.5x | 0.92% |
| Bronx County | $529,500 | $1,458/mo | $48,676 | 10.9x | 1.03% |
| Kings County | $905,000 | $1,833/mo | $80,263 | 11.3x | 0.71% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in New York by county?
What is the typical rent in New York by county?
Which New York counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.