You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in New York.
The median household income in Nassau County, the richest county in New York is $146,202, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 62 counties in the Empire State. Let’s star gaze together.
What is the richest county in New York? The richest county in New York is Nassau County. In contrast, the poorest county in the state is Cattaraugus County, according to the Census data.
$146,202 median income · $833,989 median home price
$103,931 median income · $1,203,663 median home price
$118,976 median income · $841,836 median home price
$130,686 median income · $697,539 median home price
$109,959 median income · $740,627 median home price
$126,257 median income · $554,659 median home price
$98,333 median income · $718,959 median home price
$99,478 median income · $483,492 median home price
$86,136 median income · $737,653 median home price
$80,263 median income · $946,395 median home price
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New York’s statewide median.
New York statewide median: $85,974
New York statewide median: $507,794
On the map
Where New York’s richest counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which New York county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in New York, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. 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 the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in New York for each of the criteria from one to 62, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In New York.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Empire State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in New York. The median New York home is 67 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In New York
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nassau County | 1,389,591 | $146,202 | $833,989 |
| 2 | New York County | 1,629,477 | $103,931 | $1,203,663 |
| 2 | Westchester County | 999,677 | $118,976 | $841,836 |
| 4 | Suffolk County | 1,530,146 | $130,686 | $697,539 |
| 4 | Rockland County | 341,883 | $109,959 | $740,627 |
| 6 | Putnam County | 98,107 | $126,257 | $554,659 |
| 7 | Richmond County | 494,956 | $98,333 | $718,959 |
| 9 | Dutchess County | 298,220 | $99,478 | $483,492 |
| 9 | Queens County | 2,323,052 | $86,136 | $737,653 |
| 9 | Kings County | 2,631,580 | $80,263 | $946,395 |
| 11 | Saratoga County | 238,284 | $100,787 | $454,235 |
| 12 | Orange County | 406,616 | $97,178 | $456,106 |
| 13 | Ulster County | 182,601 | $86,271 | $431,544 |
| 14 | Columbia County | 61,100 | $81,528 | $466,520 |
| 15 | Albany County | 317,018 | $85,333 | $360,528 |
| 15 | Rensselaer County | 160,332 | $87,915 | $314,837 |
| 17 | Warren County | 65,517 | $78,442 | $365,412 |
| 18 | Ontario County | 112,625 | $82,324 | $312,677 |
| 19 | Greene County | 47,409 | $77,945 | $355,244 |
| 20 | Schenectady County | 160,369 | $79,623 | $300,238 |
| 21 | Tompkins County | 104,537 | $74,024 | $347,570 |
| 22 | Onondaga County | 471,129 | $76,945 | $270,792 |
| 22 | Monroe County | 753,753 | $76,382 | $279,468 |
| 24 | Sullivan County | 79,721 | $72,382 | $312,275 |
| 24 | Madison County | 67,328 | $75,499 | $248,276 |
| 26 | Erie County | 950,622 | $72,839 | $287,781 |
| 27 | Wayne County | 90,929 | $74,506 | $239,210 |
| 29 | Washington County | 60,522 | $73,495 | $243,327 |
| 29 | Yates County | 24,526 | $69,701 | $308,449 |
| 29 | Essex County | 36,973 | $71,661 | $264,817 |
| 31 | Livingston County | 61,498 | $74,001 | $237,471 |
| 32 | Schoharie County | 30,049 | $70,133 | $246,702 |
| 33 | Niagara County | 210,721 | $69,633 | $243,485 |
| 33 | Genesee County | 57,787 | $73,314 | $217,952 |
| 35 | Hamilton County | 5,089 | $68,835 | $260,924 |
| 36 | Bronx County | 1,404,779 | $48,676 | $497,543 |
| 37 | Oneida County | 229,124 | $70,154 | $227,317 |
| 38 | Clinton County | 78,493 | $71,224 | $219,745 |
| 39 | Tioga County | 47,864 | $72,739 | $193,886 |
| 40 | Schuyler County | 17,562 | $67,663 | $237,962 |
| 40 | Cortland County | 46,246 | $70,418 | $196,363 |
| 42 | Cayuga County | 75,102 | $67,904 | $224,377 |
| 44 | Wyoming County | 39,753 | $69,110 | $198,511 |
| 44 | Otsego County | 60,108 | $68,885 | $205,265 |
| 44 | Oswego County | 117,953 | $69,183 | $198,056 |
| 46 | Seneca County | 32,920 | $68,089 | $216,606 |
| 47 | Jefferson County | 115,040 | $66,301 | $220,944 |
| 47 | Delaware County | 44,487 | $63,337 | $240,381 |
| 49 | Fulton County | 52,487 | $66,533 | $210,970 |
| 50 | Herkimer County | 59,757 | $68,515 | $190,678 |
| 51 | Lewis County | 26,607 | $68,182 | $189,418 |
| 51 | Montgomery County | 49,528 | $64,943 | $205,808 |
| 53 | Orleans County | 39,608 | $65,969 | $192,949 |
| 54 | Steuben County | 92,588 | $65,887 | $164,947 |
| 54 | Franklin County | 46,696 | $65,151 | $169,097 |
| 56 | Broome County | 197,378 | $62,616 | $189,468 |
| 57 | Chenango County | 46,321 | $62,948 | $158,322 |
| 57 | Chemung County | 82,147 | $63,716 | $152,650 |
| 59 | Chautauqua County | 125,544 | $58,351 | $169,266 |
| 61 | St. Lawrence County | 107,226 | $62,850 | $146,060 |
| 61 | Allegany County | 47,159 | $62,869 | $134,984 |
| 61 | Cattaraugus County | 76,145 | $59,540 | $157,763 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + Zillow via Saturday Night Science. All 62 New York counties.
Summary
Summary: The Richest Counties In New York For 2026
Living in New York can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in New York are Nassau County, New York County, Westchester County, Suffolk County, Rockland County, Putnam County, Richmond County, Dutchess County, Queens County, and Kings County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome. Not sold on New York? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Richest Counties In New York FAQs
What is the richest county in New York?
Nassau County is the richest county in New York for 2026, with a median household income of $146,202. New York County and Westchester County are next.
What are the richest counties in New York?
The richest counties in New York are Nassau County, New York County, Westchester County, Suffolk County, Rockland County, Putnam County, Richmond County, Dutchess County, Queens County, and Kings County. We ranked all 62 New York counties on average home price and median income.
How much do people make in Nassau County?
The median household in Nassau County earns $146,202 a year, against a New York statewide median of $85,974. The US median household income is $74,580.
What do homes cost in the richest counties of New York?
The median home across the ten richest New York counties is $739,140, versus $507,794 statewide. In Nassau County, the typical home runs $833,989.
What is the poorest county in New York?
Cattaraugus County is the poorest county in New York by this ranking, coming in last of the 62 counties we scored on income and home prices.
