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New York

D+12  ·  High tax burden  ·  COL index 139

C

10.9%

Income Tax

379

Violent Crime / 100K

79.3

Life Expectancy

$470K

Median Home

$2,050

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

63/100
255075100TAXES47SAFETY60HEALTH71SCHOOLS78AFFORDABLE47LONGEVITY77

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Taxes

Income Tax

10.9% top

Property Tax

~$6,580/yr on median home

1.4% / yr

Sales Tax

8.52% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Government pensions fully exempt; other pensions up to $20K

Fully Exempt

Estate Tax

Cliff tax: if estate exceeds 105% of exemption, full estate taxed

Yes — $6.94M exemption

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Taxed as income

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

139

Median Home Price

$470,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$2,200/mo

Home Insurance

Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$1,800/yr

Flood Insurance

$1,000/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

$179,975

Asset Protection

Moderate

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Near national avg

379 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Below national avg (~2,100)

1,480 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

Among the safest

6.4 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

#15 of 50

Life Expectancy

Above national avg (76.4)

79.3 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

Well below national avg

5.4%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

#12 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Not Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

Very expensive (national avg ~$1,200)

$2,050/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

$175/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$650/mo

Road Quality Rank

Among the worst roads in the US

#48 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

200+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Top-25 US airport by passengers

Yes

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Highly urban — big city feel

88% urban

Restaurant Density

Outstanding food scene

640/100K

Religious Congregations

160/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

9 teams

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

20 venues

Craft Breweries

2.7/100K residents — Solid scene

530 breweries

Craft Distilleries

One of the nation's top distillery states

130 distilleries

Live Music

NYC — the global live music capital; Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg; Governors Ball, Afropunk

World-class

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

$2,140

Traffic Fatality Rate

6.4 / 100K

Broadband Access

89% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

Legal to viability; state constitutional right on ballot

Protected

LGBTQ+ Protections

Comprehensive

Marijuana

Recreational

Minimum Wage

$16/hr

Right to Work

No

Sports Betting

Legal

Casino Gambling

Commercial casinos

Online Gambling

Illegal

State Lottery

4 commercial upstate casinos + tribal. NYC sports betting launched 2022 — 9 licensed mobile apps. Lottery revenue is enormous.

Yes

Age of Consent

17

Sex Education

No state sex ed mandate

Comprehensive

Medically Accurate Required

Yes

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

Gunnison Beach (NJ, serves NYC metro) · Empire Haven Nudist Park · Sun Ridge Resort · Fire Island tradition

Active scene

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Near national avg

38

Natural Disaster Risk

Moderate

Primary Hazards

hurricaneblizzardnor-easter

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

D+12

Gun Laws

Gun ControlA
2A LibertyF

Carry Permit

May-issue

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Legal

Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+1.2% job growth · 4.5% unemployment

Moderate

Top Industries

FinanceTechnologyHealthcare

Tech Jobs

Strong tech presence

#6 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

Top healthcare job market

#5 of 50

Remote Work

High remote work culture

32% of workers

Median Household Income

$81,386

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

6.5%

LLC Formation Fee

$200 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

$9/yr

Business Climate Rank

Bottom-10 nationally

#49 of 50

NYC LLCs must publish formation notices in 2 newspapers — adds $1,500–$2,000 to effective startup cost

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Above avg (+0.14 vs national avg)

$3.44/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Sparklers only; NYC and most cities ban all consumer fireworks

Restricted

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 32°F

Cold

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

84°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

46" / yr

Tornado Risk

Very Low

Hurricane Risk

Low

Wildfire Risk

Very Low

Flood Risk

Moderate

Natural Hazards

27LOW danger
Lyme disease #1 state by casesEEE zoneHurricane coastal risk (NYC)

Venomous Snakes

Low

Spider Hazard

Low

Hurricane Risk

Moderate

Tornado Risk

Low

Wildfire Risk

Low

Earthquake Risk

Low

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

5% of state population are veterans

79/100

Property Tax Exemption

Cold War/wartime vet property tax exempt

Partial

Military Retirement Pay

Tax Exempt

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Excellent

Notable Benefits

Military retirement fully exempt

Explore New York counties

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Compare Similar States

NY vs CA

New York vs California

COL 139 vs 142 · 10.9% vs 13.3% income tax

Full comparison →

NY vs MA

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COL 139 vs 148 · 10.9% vs 9% income tax

Full comparison →

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What Residents Say

Cost of Living in NY? : r/movingtoNYC

Hey guys, so I'm in Houston rn and I make 65k. There is a chance that I might be moving to New York due to potentially switching office locations. My ......

reddit.com ↗

How much would you pay to live in NYC versus Seattle or ...

With higher rent ($20 - 25k/yr) and local taxes ($40 - 45k/yr), the difference is $60 - 70k/yr. I know it's a special city, but the price is ......

reddit.com ↗

Cost of living compared to NYC : r/boston

The “luxury” 1/1s in nice areas in Boston are 3.5-4.5k. Those equivalent in NYC are all 5.5-6k per month. Every tax is higher in NYC which has ......

reddit.com ↗

is Living in NYC really worth the tax compared to NJ?

Living in NJ would save me roughly 3-4% in NYC resident income tax, which is a big amount of money, However, I've heard that Jersey City or ......

reddit.com ↗

How do people afford to live in London? Choosing ...

Cost of living is so much cheaper. I was able to copy paste my lifestyle here and everything costs 1/2 to sometimes even 1/3 of New York costs....

reddit.com ↗

Which has a higher cost of living: NYC or Los Angeles?

Which do you think has a higher cost of living? NYC or Los Angeles?...

reddit.com ↗

IS NYC really that expensive : r/movingtoNYC

(posting in another subreddit and they told me to post here) - I currently live in the midwest and i have ALWAYS wanted to live in NYC. I have been drawn ......

reddit.com ↗

I want to move back home to Upstate NY, but how does ...

Property tax varies wildly from town to town. When we were looking, one house was 7k/year. Two towns over was 3k. Albany area, similar houses, ......

reddit.com ↗

Hidden costs of living in Manhattan? : r/AskNYC

The biggest cost that stands out to me is that you'll have to pay NY state taxes + NYC taxes - so your take home pay will be lower once you move ......

reddit.com ↗

Leaving NYC Affordability : r/movingtoNYC

Yes you will get paid less but the absence of state income tax is AMAZING. In Austin, my sister was making a fraction of what I make in NYC & we ......

reddit.com ↗

Stay Current

Get notified when New York tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.

New York Guides

relocation

Where Are New York Residents Moving in 2026?

New Yorkers are leaving at a pace that has reshaped migration maps across the country. Florida and T

relocation

New York's Exit: Why People Are Leaving

New York lost billions in taxable income in recent years as residents voted with their feet. Between

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable