Housing decision brief
Bronx County, NY Housing Market
Bronx County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
54th lowest home value out of 62 New York counties with data | 51st lowest rent out of 62
Median home value
$517,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,436/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,777/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
10.5x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
35.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$341/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Lower income base
$49,036 median income is 31% below New York county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Bronx County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $517,000 | $179,500 | $281,900 | 188% pressure188% above New York county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,436 | $943 | $1,163 | 52% pressure52% above New York county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,777 | $1,080 | $1,672 | 65% pressure65% above New York county median |
Median household income | $49,036 | $70,695 | $74,755 | 31% pressure31% below New York county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.03% | 2.00% | 1.02% | 49% favorable49% below New York county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 35.00% | 29.00% | N/A | 21% pressure35.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
-$8,404
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
-$27,121
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Bronx County is stretched. The median rent is $1,436/month against a median household income of $49,036, putting rent at 35.1% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in Bronx County pay $1,436/month on average, compared to $1,777/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 19%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $57,440/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $76,157/year. With a median household income of $49,036, the median income falls short of the rent-affordability threshold. Notably, 35.0% of renter households in Bronx County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Tompkins County where rent averages $1,374/month, Bronx County is approximately 5% more expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino County, CA | $486,000 | $1,325/mo | Out-of-state peer near $486,000 home value and $1,325/mo rent. |
| Charlottesville city, VA | $448,400 | $1,453/mo | Out-of-state peer near $448,400 home value and $1,453/mo rent. |
| Essex County, NJ | $494,400 | $1,459/mo | Out-of-state peer near $494,400 home value and $1,459/mo rent. |
| Jefferson County, WA | $495,100 | $1,291/mo | Out-of-state peer near $495,100 home value and $1,291/mo rent. |
| Hawaii County, HI | $486,400 | $1,411/mo | Out-of-state peer near $486,400 home value and $1,411/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Bronx County
Is Bronx County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Bronx County?
How much income do you need for housing in Bronx County?
What should I double-check before moving to Bronx County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.