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.
Best Neighborhoods in New York, NY — Key Takeaways
The best neighborhood in New York is Queens with a Kurby Score of 72/100. New York has 4 neighborhoods ranked by quality of life data. The safest neighborhood is Queens with a violent crime rate of 0.8 per 1,000 residents, 78% below the national average of 3.6. 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%, and a poverty rate of 17.2%. 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.
Top 3 Neighborhoods
Rankings by Category
Top 5 neighborhoods in New York for each quality-of-life metric.
Lowest violent crime rate
- 0.8 per 1K
Lowest median home value
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.
Based on nearby amenities, noise levels, and quality of life factors
Internet quality, water safety, sustainability, and more
$1,985 — $2,977
Estimated annual premium
Estimates based on median home value, flood zone, climate risk, and crime data. Actual premiums vary by insurer, coverage, and property details.