Housing decision brief

Queens County, NY Housing Market

Queens 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.

60th lowest home value out of 62 New York counties with data | 59th lowest rent out of 62

Median home value

$699,200

Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.

Median rent

$1,915/mo

Gross rent, including utilities where reported.

Monthly owner cost

$1,830/mo

Owner costs before individual loan terms.

Decision snapshot

Read this county in four signals.

See the benchmark matrix

Buy screen

8.2x

Median home value divided by local household income.

Rent burden

31.0%

At or above the 30% burden threshold.

Rent vs own

$85/mo

Median owner cost screens below median rent.

Data confidence

Clean

No major county-specific caveat detected.

What Works

Owning screens cheaper than renting

Median owner costs are $85/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.

What to Check

No signal

No major watchout was detected from the current housing dataset.

Best Fit For

Households weighing ownership against renting

Poor Fit For

No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.

County vs State vs National

The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Queens County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.

Swipe sideways to see state and national benchmarks.

Metric	County	State	U.S.	Signal
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability.	$699,200	$179,500	$281,900	290% pressure290% above New York county median
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability.	$1,915	$943	$1,163	103% pressure103% above New York county median
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability.	$1,830	$1,080	$1,672	69% pressure69% above New York county median
Median household income	$84,961	$70,695	$74,755	20% favorable20% above New York county median
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability.	0.88%	2.00%	1.02%	56% favorable56% below New York county median
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability.	31.00%	29.00%	N/A	7% pressure31.00% 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.

Local median income$84,961

Income for median rent$76,600

Income for median owner cost$78,429

Rent cushion

+$8,361

Median income minus rent threshold.

Owner cushion

+$6,532

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 Queens County is moderately affordable. The median rent is $1,915/month against a median household income of $84,961, putting rent at 27.0% of income.

Rent vs own

At $1,915/month rent versus $1,830/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $85/month cheaper , a 4% difference.

Income needed

To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $76,600/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $78,429/year. With a median household income of $84,961, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 31.0% of renter households in Queens County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.

Regional context

Compared to Rockland County where rent averages $1,826/month, Queens 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
Richmond County, NY	$658,500	$1,689/mo	Same-state comparison near $658,500 home value and $1,689/mo rent.
Kings County, NY	$889,700	$1,784/mo	Same-state comparison near $889,700 home value and $1,784/mo rent.
Monroe County, FL	$723,800	$1,959/mo	Out-of-state peer near $723,800 home value and $1,959/mo rent.
Westchester County, NY	$638,400	$1,876/mo	Same-state comparison near $638,400 home value and $1,876/mo rent.
Los Angeles County, CA	$783,300	$1,893/mo	Out-of-state peer near $783,300 home value and $1,893/mo rent.

Data Confidence

No major county-specific data caveat was detected in the current housing fields.

Next Checks

Property tax

Check appeal potential

Useful when the tax rate is a real part of affordability.

Mortgage

Compare loan terms

Monthly owner cost changes quickly with rate and down payment.

Listings

Check active inventory

Census medians explain the market, but listings show current supply.

Explore Related Data

taxbycounty.com

incomebycounty.com

countyscore.com

costbycounty.com

Housing Questions for Queens County

Is Queens County affordable for buying a home?

Queens County has a home-value-to-income ratio of 8.2x. Values under 3.0x usually screen as more affordable, but taxes and local income still matter.

Is renting or owning cheaper in Queens County?

Median rent is $1,915/mo and median monthly owner cost is $1,830/mo. On this screen, owning is cheaper before individual loan terms.

How much income do you need for housing in Queens County?

To keep rent near 30% of income, the median rent implies about $76,600 in annual income. Using a 28% owner-cost screen, median owner costs imply about $78,429 in annual income.

What should I double-check before moving to Queens County?

Double-check local employment, taxes, insurance, utilities, and source coverage before making a move decision.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 14, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.