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    Best Neighborhoods in New York, NY

    4 neighborhoods ranked by safety, walkability, affordability, and quality of life — powered by real data from the US Census, FBI, EPA, and Walk Score.

    Population: 8,336,8172026 Data

    Best Neighborhoods in New York, NY — Key Takeaways

    The best neighborhood in New York is Queens with a Kurby Score of 75/100. New York has 4 neighborhoods ranked by quality of life data. The safest neighborhood is Queens with a violent crime rate of 3.6 per 1,000 residents, 3% below the national average of 3.7. The most affordable is The Bronx with a median home value of $375,000. The most walkable is The Bronx with a Walk Score of 92/100.

    New York has a population of 8,336,817, a median household income of $67,046, an unemployment rate of 4.9%. The median home value citywide is $680,000, which is 141% above the national average of $281,900.

    Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA AirNow, Walk Score, and FEMA. Last updated: March 2026.

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    Top 3 Neighborhoods

    Queens

    75/100

    Kurby Score

    $615,000
    Walk: 63
    Crime: 3.6

    The Bronx

    65/100

    Kurby Score

    $375,000
    Walk: 92
    Crime: 3.6

    Brooklyn

    63/100

    Kurby Score

    $758,000
    Complete Rankings — 4 Neighborhoods
    Best neighborhoods in New York ranked by Kurby Score, with median home value, walk score, crime rate, poverty rate, and unemployment rate.
    #NeighborhoodKurby Score
    		Queens75
    		The Bronx65
    		Brooklyn63
    4
    		Manhattan56

    Rankings by Category

    Top 5 neighborhoods in New York for each quality-of-life metric.

    Safest

    Lowest violent crime rate

    1. 1
      Queens
      3.6 per 1K
    2. 2
      The Bronx
      3.6 per 1K
    3. 3
      Manhattan
      3.6 per 1K
    Most Walkable

    Highest Walk Score

    1. 1
      The Bronx
      92/100
    2. 2
      Manhattan
      90/100
    3. 3
      Queens
      63/100
    Most Affordable

    Lowest median home value

    1. 1
      The Bronx
      $375,000
    2. 2
      Queens
      $615,000
    3. 3
      Brooklyn
      $758,000
    4. 4
      Manhattan
      $972,000
    Lowest Unemployment

    Lowest unemployment rate

    1. 1
      Queens
      4.9%
    2. 2
      Manhattan
      4.9%
    3. 3
      The Bronx
      7.4%
    Highest Income

    Highest median household income

    1. 1
      Manhattan
      $163,500
    2. 2
      Queens
      $112,824
    3. 3
      The Bronx
      $72,198
    Best Air Quality

    Lowest Air Quality Index

    1. 1
      Queens
      AQI 74
    2. 2
      The Bronx
      AQI 74
    3. 3
      Manhattan
      AQI 74
    How We Rank Neighborhoods in New York

    Neighborhoods are ranked using the Kurby Score, a composite quality-of-life index that evaluates seven weighted categories based on publicly available data:

    Affordability
    20% weight
    Walkability & Transit
    15% weight
    Safety
    15% weight
    Environment
    15% weight
    Housing Market
    15% weight
    Education
    10% weight
    Economy
    10% weight

    Each category incorporates multiple data points. For example, Safety uses both violent and property crime rates; Environment considers air quality (AQI), noise levels, climate risk, and flood zone status; Housing Market factors in vacancy rates, homeownership rates, and effective tax rates.

    Data Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), EPA AirNow, Walk Score, DOT National Transportation Noise Map, FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and EIA Electricity Data. All data is updated on a rolling basis as new government releases become available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are the best neighborhoods in New York?
    The top neighborhoods in New York based on the Kurby Score are: Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan. These rankings consider safety, walkability, affordability, air quality, and schools.
    What is the safest neighborhood in New York?
    The safest neighborhood in New York is Queens with a violent crime rate of 3.6 per 1,000 residents. The national average is 3.7 per 1,000.
    What is the most affordable neighborhood in New York?
    The most affordable neighborhood in New York is The Bronx with a median home value of $375,000. The national median is $281,900.
    What is the most walkable neighborhood in New York?
    The most walkable neighborhood in New York is The Bronx with a Walk Score of 92/100. The national average Walk Score is 48/100.
    What is the unemployment rate in New York?
    The unemployment rate in New York, NY is 4.9%. The national average is 3.7%.
    What is the median household income in New York?
    The median household income in New York, NY is $67,046. The national median is $74,580.

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