Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is New York a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in New York.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Empire State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of New York, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 62 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In New York For 2026
Saratoga County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in New York. And you should avoid Bronx County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in New York. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in New York and the cheapest places to live in New York.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In New York For 2026
1. Saratoga County
Biggest Place: Saratoga Springs
Population: 238,284
Median Income: $100,787 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $454,235 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (2nd best)
More on Saratoga County: Data
2. Nassau County
Biggest Place: Hempstead
Population: 1,389,591
Median Income: $146,202 (best)
Median Home Price: $833,988 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (23rd best)
More on Nassau County: Data
3. Ontario County
Biggest Place: Geneva
Population: 112,625
Median Income: $82,324 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $312,676 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (6th best)
More on Ontario County: Data
4. Putnam County
Biggest Place: Mahopac
Population: 98,107
Median Income: $126,257 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $554,658 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (15th best)
More on Putnam County: Data
5. Warren County
Biggest Place: Glens Falls
Population: 65,517
Median Income: $78,442 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $365,412 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (14th best)
More on Warren County: Data
6. Suffolk County
Biggest Place: West Babylon
Population: 1,530,146
Median Income: $130,686 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $697,538 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (22nd best)
More on Suffolk County: Data
7. Albany County
Biggest Place: Albany
Population: 317,018
Median Income: $85,333 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $360,528 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (29th best)
More on Albany County: Data
8. Dutchess County
Biggest Place: Poughkeepsie
Population: 298,220
Median Income: $99,478 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $483,491 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (34th best)
More on Dutchess County: Data
9. Rensselaer County
Biggest Place: Troy
Population: 160,332
Median Income: $87,915 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $314,837 (20th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (36th best)
More on Rensselaer County: Data
10. Madison County
Biggest Place: Oneida
Population: 67,328
Median Income: $75,499 (23rd best)
Median Home Price: $248,276 (30th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (12th best)
More on Madison County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which New York county is the best?
To give you the best county in New York, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in New York across each of the criteria from one to 62, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In New York.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Empire State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in New York.
Read on to see why Saratoga County is the best county, while Bronx County is probably in contention for being the worst county in New York.
Summary: The Best Counties In New York To Call Home For 2026
Living in New York can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in New York are Saratoga County, Nassau County, Ontario County, Putnam County, Warren County, Suffolk County, Albany County, Dutchess County, Rensselaer County, and Madison County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in New York according to the data:
- Bronx County
- Chautauqua County
- Cattaraugus County
For more New York reading, check out:
- Safest Places In New York According To Science
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New York
- Cheapest Places To Live In New York
- Richest Cities In New York
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In New York
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saratoga County | 238,284 | $100,787 | $454,235 |
| 2 | Nassau County | 1,389,591 | $146,202 | $833,988 |
| 3 | Ontario County | 112,625 | $82,324 | $312,676 |
| 4 | Putnam County | 98,107 | $126,257 | $554,658 |
| 5 | Warren County | 65,517 | $78,442 | $365,412 |
| 6 | Suffolk County | 1,530,146 | $130,686 | $697,538 |
| 7 | Albany County | 317,018 | $85,333 | $360,528 |
| 8 | Dutchess County | 298,220 | $99,478 | $483,491 |
| 9 | Rensselaer County | 160,332 | $87,915 | $314,837 |
| 10 | Madison County | 67,328 | $75,499 | $248,276 |
| 11 | Columbia County | 61,100 | $81,528 | $466,519 |
| 12 | Monroe County | 753,753 | $76,382 | $279,468 |
| 13 | Greene County | 47,409 | $77,945 | $355,243 |
| 14 | Genesee County | 57,787 | $73,314 | $217,952 |
| 15 | Livingston County | 61,498 | $74,001 | $237,470 |
| 16 | Hamilton County | 5,089 | $68,835 | $260,923 |
| 17 | Onondaga County | 471,129 | $76,945 | $270,791 |
| 18 | Erie County | 950,622 | $72,839 | $287,781 |
| 19 | Essex County | 36,973 | $71,661 | $264,816 |
| 20 | Richmond County | 494,956 | $98,333 | $718,959 |
| 21 | Westchester County | 999,677 | $118,976 | $841,835 |
| 22 | Schenectady County | 160,369 | $79,623 | $300,238 |
| 23 | Schoharie County | 30,049 | $70,133 | $246,702 |
| 24 | Orange County | 406,616 | $97,178 | $456,105 |
| 25 | Wyoming County | 39,753 | $69,110 | $198,510 |
| 26 | Tompkins County | 104,537 | $74,024 | $347,569 |
| 27 | Wayne County | 90,929 | $74,506 | $239,210 |
| 28 | Washington County | 60,522 | $73,495 | $243,327 |
| 29 | Niagara County | 210,721 | $69,633 | $243,484 |
| 30 | Rockland County | 341,883 | $109,959 | $740,626 |
| 31 | Clinton County | 78,493 | $71,224 | $219,744 |
| 32 | Ulster County | 182,601 | $86,271 | $431,544 |
| 33 | Tioga County | 47,864 | $72,739 | $193,885 |
| 34 | New York County | 1,629,477 | $103,931 | $1,203,663 |
| 35 | Fulton County | 52,487 | $66,533 | $210,969 |
| 36 | Cortland County | 46,246 | $70,418 | $196,362 |
| 37 | Oneida County | 229,124 | $70,154 | $227,316 |
| 38 | Herkimer County | 59,757 | $68,515 | $190,678 |
| 39 | Yates County | 24,526 | $69,701 | $308,449 |
| 40 | Cayuga County | 75,102 | $67,904 | $224,377 |
| 41 | Lewis County | 26,607 | $68,182 | $189,418 |
| 42 | Queens County | 2,323,052 | $86,136 | $737,653 |
| 43 | Jefferson County | 115,040 | $66,301 | $220,943 |
| 44 | Otsego County | 60,108 | $68,885 | $205,264 |
| 45 | Chenango County | 46,321 | $62,948 | $158,322 |
| 46 | Sullivan County | 79,721 | $72,382 | $312,275 |
| 47 | Kings County | 2,631,580 | $80,263 | $946,395 |
| 48 | Steuben County | 92,588 | $65,887 | $164,947 |
| 49 | Schuyler County | 17,562 | $67,663 | $237,962 |
| 50 | Seneca County | 32,920 | $68,089 | $216,606 |
| 51 | Broome County | 197,378 | $62,616 | $189,467 |
| 52 | Delaware County | 44,487 | $63,337 | $240,381 |
| 53 | Orleans County | 39,608 | $65,969 | $192,949 |
| 54 | Oswego County | 117,953 | $69,183 | $198,055 |
| 55 | Montgomery County | 49,528 | $64,943 | $205,807 |
| 56 | Chemung County | 82,147 | $63,716 | $152,649 |
| 57 | Franklin County | 46,696 | $65,151 | $169,097 |
| 58 | Allegany County | 47,159 | $62,869 | $134,983 |
| 59 | St. Lawrence County | 107,226 | $62,850 | $146,059 |
| 60 | Cattaraugus County | 76,145 | $59,540 | $157,762 |
| 61 | Chautauqua County | 125,544 | $58,351 | $169,266 |
| 62 | Bronx County | 1,404,779 | $48,676 | $497,542 |