Best places to live in New York
3 New York metros scored on the default family weighting — schools and safety heaviest, then affordability, climate, college pipeline and jobs. Change the weights on the ranking engine to see your own order.
Who lives in New York
Population-weighted racial and ethnic composition across the 3 tracked New York metros, from Census ACS table B03002.
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 45.8%
- Hispanic or Latino
- 23.9%
- Black (non-Hispanic)
- 14.4%
- Asian (non-Hispanic)
- 11.2%
- Other or two or more
- 4.7%
Diversity index 86/100 — how evenly the population is spread across these groups. It is descriptive, not a judgement: weight it up, down or to zero on the ranking engine.
| # | Metro | Score | US rank | Typical home | Schools | Safety | Climate | Diversity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 57.8 | #26 of 103 | $737k | 78 | 45 | 27° / 84° | 89 |
| 2 | Albany | 56.8 | #32 of 103 | $378k | 62 | 45 | 15° / 83° | 52 |
| 3 | Buffalo | 46.6 | #70 of 103 | $293k | 36 | 45 | 18° / 80° | 54 |
Figures are compiled estimates. Methodology and sources.