The 10 Best Places To Live In New York For 2026


The best places to live in New York for 2026 are Floral Park, Malverne, and North Hills. Find out where your city or town ranks.

While New York City looms large in the minds of people looking to move to New York, the best places to live in New York have a leg up on the Big Apple.

With the bigger is better lifestyle in New York, we had to find the best places to live in New York.

We used Saturday Night Science to compare factors like home prices, schools, and above average employment rates for the 162 places in New York over 5,000 people. The data comes from the Census, FBI, and Zillow.

So grab yourself a cup of diner coffee and a slice of pizza, and read on to find the best places to live in New York.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Map | Methodology | Summary


What city is the best place to live in New York for 2026? The best place to live in New York is Floral Park.

If you live anywhere near New York’s Nassau County, consider yourself lucky. The star on The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has nothing on these places.

For more reading, check out:

The 10 Best Places To Live In New York For 2026

Best Places To Live In New York Map

Floral Park, NY

Source: Wikipedia User Freechild | GFDL
StatFloral ParkNew York
Population16,16919,852,366
Rank Last Year3
Median Home Value$858,495$507,794
Median Income$150,084$85,974
Unemployment Rate3.1%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.01030.0210

More on Floral Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Floral Park is a village of 16,169 located in Long Island’s Nassau County. Floral Park doesn’t need to be told it’s an awesome spot; its motto is “A Great Place to Live,” after all. Schools in Floral Park got an 8/10 average rating on GreatSchools, so you can rest assured that your kids are getting off on the right foot here.

Speaking of youth, Floral Park’s median age is 43, which is on the lower end of the spectrum for this list. If you combine that with the village’s status as the 14th most densely populated place in New York, you can see that Floral Park is one of the more dynamic places that we’re covering here. And with a poverty rate well below the 3% mark, Floral Park makes sure all its residents are along for the ride.

As a bonus, Floral Park is only fifteen minutes from JFK Airport, so far off friends and family will have a super easy time coming for a visit.

Malverne, NY

Source: Wikipedia User DanTD | CC BY-SA 3.0
StatMalverneNew York
Population8,47719,852,366
Rank Last Year1
Median Home Value$801,813$507,794
Median Income$149,489$85,974
Unemployment Rate2.3%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.01030.0210

More on Malverne: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Malverne is a village of 8,477 in the Town of Hempstead. Malverne’s population is on the older end of the scale for this list, with a median age of 45, so this might be a better choice for someone who doesn’t prioritize constant activity and just wants to live in a friendly, relaxing community. It also might be for someone who appreciates a good deal, because despite being under an hour from all the places listed so far, Malverne has the lowest home prices of the bunch. And with folks still earning $149,489/year, Malverne’s a close second for lowest cost of living among the places we’re covering here.

Unemployment in Malverne is also a super low 2.3%, which is good enough to be the 11th lowest in New York. One more thing for people who value security: Malverne is among the safest places in New York, so you won’t have to run back home if you forget to lock the door here.

North Hills, NY

Source: Flickr User Joe Shlabotnik | CC BY 2.0
StatNorth HillsNew York
Population5,41519,852,366
Rank Last Year9
Median Home Value$1,472,339$507,794
Median Income$173,315$85,974
Unemployment Rate1.9%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.01030.0210

More on North Hills: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

We’re starting off our tour of the best places to live in New York with North Hills, a village of 5,415 located just east of New York City. Life in North Hills is fairly ritzy; I mean, the nearby Gold Coast inspired The Great Gatsby with its over-the-top opulence after all. In that spirit, we should mention that homes in North Hills are the 7th most expensive in New York, going for a median price of $1,472,339. That’s not much of an issue when you’re one of the richest places in New York, though, seeing as the median household income in North Hills is a cool $173,315/year.

The good news is that the economy works for more than just the hyper-wealthy here. At 1.9% unemployment and 3.0% of people living below the poverty level, North Hills has the 7th lowest unemployment and 16th lowest poverty level in New York.

One important thing to note before moving to North Hills is that, with a median age of 61, it’s far and away the oldest place to make this list. So if you’re cool with a more mature, slow-paced lifestyle, North Hills should suit you just fine. But if you crave constant action, maybe consider one of the other cities listed below as an alternative.

Kings Point, NY

Source: Flickr User LunchboxLarry | CC BY 2.0
StatKings PointNew York
Population5,63419,852,366
Rank Last Year2
Median Home Value$2,373,620$507,794
Median Income$211,299$85,974
Unemployment Rate2.4%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.01030.0210

More on Kings Point: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Kings Point sits on a throne as the city with the highest home prices in New York. And with home prices that high, it means everyone is knocking down the the door to live. Why? Because it’s the 4th best place to live in New York based on the most recent data.

Located on Manhasset Bay in Nassau County on the northside of Long Island, Kings Point is a gem of a place to live. Besides the huge demand for housing, the town also ranks well for safety as crime rates are in the lowest 10% of the state. And Great Neck North High School, the public high school for the town, gets a solid A rating from Niche as one the better in the state.

In terms of things to do, the town has an abundance of parks like Steppingstone Park on the water and Kings Point Park in the middle of town. And being a suburb of New York City, there’s always the option to spend the afternoon in Brooklyn or Manhattan. A lot of people would argue it’s better to live this close to the City than in it.

Massapequa Park, NY

Source: Wikipedia User Kenneth C. Zirkel | CC BY-SA 4.0
StatMassapequa ParkNew York
Population16,96319,852,366
Rank Last Year7
Median Home Value$792,452$507,794
Median Income$171,953$85,974
Unemployment Rate4.6%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.01030.0210

More on Massapequa Park: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

We’re going down to Long Island’s South Shore to reach our 5th best place to call home in New York, Massapequa Park. While Massapequa Park is fairly expensive, its combination of a lower than average median home price (for the region) and higher income of $171,953/year actually gives it the lowest cost of living of places you’ll see on this list.

Affordability is an especially great thing when it reaches all levels of a community. That’s what happens in Massapequa Park, where the poverty rate is a measly 3.1%, the 17th lowest in all of New York. A strong economy is great and all, but we think what Massapequa Park residents love best about their home is having the world-famous Jones Beach right in their neighborhood. It’s hard to assign a statistical value to that sort of perk though!

Long Beach, NY

Source: Public domain
StatLong BeachNew York
Population34,75619,852,366
Rank Last Year13
Median Home Value$805,358$507,794
Median Income$140,739$85,974
Unemployment Rate3.2%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.00180.0210

More on Long Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Long Beach ranks as our 6th best place to live in New York. This community of 34,756 residents has money backing it up. The median home value is $805,358.

And the numbers keep impressing. Unemployment sits at just 3.2%, with barely 300.0% of adults without a high school diploma. For one of the best communities on Long Island, explore Long Beach and discover where affluence meets education.

Bayville, NY

Source: Wikipedia User Mike LoCascio | CC BY-SA 3.0
StatBayvilleNew York
Population6,74419,852,366
Rank Last Year4
Median Home Value$841,959$507,794
Median Income$149,191$85,974
Unemployment Rate4.5%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.01030.0210

More on Bayville: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

Tucked along Long Island’s North Shore, Bayville is a quiet village where affluence is nearly universal. The median household income is $149,191/year, and the poverty level sits at just 3.7%.

Home prices hit $841,959, and yes, that’s steep. But with low crime, excellent schools, and an 4.5% unemployment rate, Bayville stands out as one of the best places to live in New York. It’s a mature, prosperous community that draws settled families.

East Rockaway, NY

Source: Wikipedia User | CC-BY-SA-2.5
StatEast RockawayNew York
Population10,07719,852,366
Rank Last Year11
Median Home Value$735,012$507,794
Median Income$124,929$85,974
Unemployment Rate3.2%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.01030.0210

More on East Rockaway: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

The 8th best place to live in New York for families seeking stability is East Rockaway, a village of just over 10,000 residents on Long Island’s South Shore. With a median household income of $124,929, residents here enjoy financial security among the state’s best. Home values reach $735,012, and unemployment runs at just 3.2%.

Only 2.6% of residents live below the poverty line. The median age of 41 reveals an established community of long-term families.

If you’re seeking stability, explore East Rockaway’s cost of living to see for yourself. It’s a top choice among New York’s best places to live.

Rockville Centre, NY

Source: Wikipedia User DanTD | CC BY-SA 3.0
StatRockville CentreNew York
Population25,76519,852,366
Rank Last Year8
Median Home Value$965,149$507,794
Median Income$151,938$85,974
Unemployment Rate5.8%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.01030.0210

More on Rockville Centre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

A neighbor of Malverne, Rockville Centre is a somewhat urbanized village of 25,765, making it the most populous of the places listed here. Rockville Centre doesn’t stand out as the 9th place thanks to any one statistic; across the board strong numbers land it on this list. For example, 99.2% of residents have health insurance, the unemployment and poverty levels are around the top 25 statewide, as well as home prices and household incomes.

The educational system in Rockville Centre is also top-quality, with GreatSchools giving an average score of 8/10 for local public schools. And schools are more than just about learning here, because at Molloy College’s Madison Theatre, big name acts put on shows all the time.

Rye, NY

Source: Wikipedia User JayHeritageCenter | CC BY-SA 4.0
StatRyeNew York
Population16,42819,852,366
Rank Last Year5
Median Home Value$2,180,591$507,794
Median Income$239,815$85,974
Unemployment Rate5.4%6.4%
Crime Per Capita0.00260.0210

More on Rye: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

We’re taking our first foray out of Long Island to reach the 10th best place to call home in New York, Rye. We named Rye the best place for families in New York, and a lot of those same factors land Rye here on this list. For example, GreatSchools gave Rye’s public schools a stellar 9/10 rating. Rye also has the 2nd lowest overall crime rate in New York, with crime being about 85% less frequent here than the national average.

As far as quality of life goes, Rye residents enjoy the a median household income of $239,815/year, the 5th highest in the state. That helps explain why 98.1% of folks here have health insurance.

Rye is located just 15 minutes outside of White Plains and New Rochelle.

Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in New York

Best Places To Live In New York Size Requirement

Before we even started to collect data on the best places to live in New York, we had to answer a tough question: Is it fair to pit Albany, with a population of 100,492, against places with a population of 18?

We firmly decided no, that just isn’t fair.

So, to create our ranking, we broke the best places to live into three tiers:

  • Cities — Populations over 5,000
  • Towns — Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
  • Small Towns — Populations below 1,000

This filter left 162 cities, 465 towns, and 340 small towns.

We then decided no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best cities to live in New York have more of everything, and therefore, you need over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best.’

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In New York

Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.

We ranked each place in New York across a number of criteria from one to 162, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In New York.”

The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:

  • Median Home Values
  • Median Income
  • Population Density (Higher is better)
  • Unemployment Rate
  • Commute Time
  • Crime
  • Education Levels
  • Health Insurance Coverage
  • Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking New York’s best places to live.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in New York. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Floral Park at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Summary: The Best Places In New York

If you’re looking at areas in New York with the best economic situations, where there’s lower than average crime, and a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The best places to live in New York are Floral Park, Malverne, North Hills, Kings Point, Massapequa Park, Long Beach, Bayville, East Rockaway, Rockville Centre, and Rye.

Floral Park made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in New York for 2026.

If you’re curious enough, here are the worst places to live in New York according to the data:

  1. Monticello (Pop. 7,279)
  2. Elmira (Pop. 26,257)
  3. Albion (Pop. 5,506)

For more New York reading, check out:

Best Places To Live In New York Table

RankCityPopulationUnemployment RateHome ValueMedian IncomeRentCrime Per Capita
1Floral Park16,1693.1%$858,495$150,084$2,2430.0103
2Malverne8,4772.3%$801,813$149,489$1,8980.0103
3North Hills5,4151.9%$1,472,339$173,315$3,5010.0103
4Kings Point5,6342.4%$2,373,620$211,299$3,5010.0103
5Massapequa Park16,9634.6%$792,452$171,953$3,4690.0103
6Long Beach34,7563.2%$805,358$140,739$2,5150.0018
7Bayville6,7444.5%$841,959$149,191$2,1270.0103
8East Rockaway10,0773.2%$735,012$124,929$2,4160.0103
9Rockville Centre25,7655.8%$965,149$151,938$1,8810.0103
10Rye16,4285.4%$2,180,591$239,815$3,5010.0026
11Farmingdale8,4743.7%$717,477$122,980$2,5200.0103
12East Hills7,2574.1%$1,751,159$250,001$00.0103
13Sea Cliff5,03313.5%$1,099,756$193,590$2,3150.0103
14Bronxville6,5103.8%$1,450,320$215,815$3,5010.0195
15Mineola21,2113.2%$815,486$137,739$2,4150.0103
16New Hyde Park10,2204.9%$974,067$142,927$2,1720.0103
17Williston Park7,5425.4%$927,595$156,382$2,1710.0103
18Manorhaven6,9583.9%$823,278$105,486$3,1530.0103
19Lawrence6,7783.9%$2,123,230$170,000$1,9430.0103
20Pelham7,3055.3%$1,360,404$184,375$2,2990.0195
21Valley Stream40,3152.8%$756,940$133,190$2,1240.0103
22Westbury15,8083.9%$768,992$145,185$1,7790.0103
23Pelham Manor5,6445.2%$1,309,984$250,001$2,7050.0195
24Great Neck Plaza7,5936.2%$498,568$92,474$2,4460.0103
25Irvington6,5312.1%$1,222,447$173,248$2,5920.0195
26Hastings-on-Hudson8,4344.1%$1,036,676$193,621$1,8770.0195
27Lynbrook20,3254.5%$745,361$136,696$2,2300.0103
28Cedarhurst7,3204.8%$1,206,384$101,572$2,2140.0103
29Scarsdale18,0104.5%$2,157,586$250,001$3,5010.0195
30Great Neck11,0876.7%$1,455,882$137,981$1,8070.0103
31Northport7,3220.8%$850,558$146,921$2,2090.0264
32Ballston Spa5,0271.8%$422,526$101,667$1,1220.0190
33Larchmont6,56710.5%$1,661,377$167,536$2,0930.0195
34Wesley Hills6,1962.4%$1,123,610$209,345$1,8660.0264
35Babylon12,1853.5%$720,475$140,820$2,4270.0264
36Williamsville5,4691.4%$410,876$98,850$1,404inf
37Dobbs Ferry11,4435.0%$975,067$165,417$2,3690.0195
38Port Jefferson8,0913.3%$756,205$144,912$2,3490.0264
39Saratoga Springs28,6312.5%$633,901$105,944$1,4700.0190
40Briarcliff Manor7,5193.1%$1,094,016$229,732$2,4330.0195
41Rye Brook9,9006.2%$1,236,847$246,944$2,5930.0195
42Pleasantville7,3717.7%$987,581$136,406$2,0580.0195
43Ilion7,5932.2%$147,235$62,843$6940.0048
44New Rochelle82,7695.9%$917,530$109,167$1,9170.0127
45North Tonawanda30,1985.8%$273,946$66,961$9340.0123
46Hamburg9,7922.6%$297,870$112,292$1,097inf
47Glen Cove28,1124.4%$810,612$92,064$2,3980.0057
48Nyack7,3938.8%$748,480$116,649$2,2170.0264
49Scotia7,2643.2%$249,645$76,525$1,0310.0376
50White Plains60,6665.9%$770,309$110,763$2,2690.0191
51Glens Falls14,6094.9%$264,460$67,788$1,0770.0081
52Johnstown8,1113.1%$192,658$63,763$9140.0158
53Freeport44,0886.4%$652,866$120,625$2,0770.0103
54Fairport5,4031.8%$396,820$107,009$1,1650.0382
55Harrison29,9615.5%$1,211,013$164,250$2,6160.0195
56Lindenhurst27,1426.3%$600,909$130,128$1,8850.0264
57Suffern11,4415.2%$576,039$104,607$2,0910.0264
58Kenmore15,0444.7%$249,943$77,639$1,081inf
59Croton-on-Hudson8,2027.2%$812,905$191,678$2,2740.0195
60Colonie7,7021.2%$341,964$103,983$1,5700.0372
61Amityville9,5883.1%$587,036$106,285$2,2470.0264
62Watervliet10,2874.5%$308,696$57,919$1,0830.0244
63Lancaster10,1131.3%$242,274$66,148$969inf
64Beacon14,8347.3%$538,601$107,859$1,6580.0079
65Mamaroneck19,8264.1%$859,344$120,000$2,1570.0195
66Lake Grove11,0615.2%$713,789$118,311$2,1840.0264
67Patchogue12,3963.5%$586,012$107,306$2,2630.0264
68Canandaigua10,5144.5%$274,506$64,929$1,0950.0173
69East Aurora5,9934.0%$431,046$103,949$1,196inf
70Kiryas Joel38,9162.2%$909,189$50,032$1,6040.0285
71Hudson Falls7,3954.1%$230,034$62,969$9270.0264
72Elmsford5,1863.7%$678,626$120,179$2,5460.0195
73Horseheads6,4492.6%$213,483$61,223$1,1810.0466
74Cohoes18,1595.8%$330,325$61,145$1,2510.0129
75Brockport7,2772.7%$269,354$69,866$9950.0382
76Sleepy Hollow10,8875.5%$1,010,736$104,313$1,9240.0195
77Geneva12,5123.4%$218,801$79,435$9720.0305
78Kaser5,6947.0%$1,050,815$26,848$1,3410.0264
79Corning10,6435.8%$189,793$61,760$1,0140.0254
80Mount Kisco10,7375.7%$688,450$96,534$1,4940.0195
81Mechanicville5,1243.3%$483,740$50,675$1,0700.0190
82Cortland17,4504.2%$197,781$59,482$9750.0313
83Yonkers209,9787.1%$680,217$83,549$1,7840.0130
84Hempstead58,8019.2%$627,530$90,420$1,6220.0103
85Oneonta15,0456.4%$220,587$61,111$1,0210.0264
86Goshen5,7734.1%$558,034$104,643$1,8050.0285
87Auburn26,2854.9%$214,996$51,052$8970.0155
88North Syracuse6,6933.8%$230,805$71,026$9950.0496
89New Hempstead5,4725.5%$978,444$126,165$1,6910.0264
90Baldwinsville7,7155.0%$321,319$77,241$1,2010.0496
91Herkimer7,5665.5%$159,599$48,529$8210.0048
92West Haverstraw10,7114.9%$425,896$86,301$1,8030.0264
93Chestnut Ridge10,5574.0%$862,818$111,725$1,7100.0264
94Port Chester31,1025.4%$725,361$92,222$2,0280.0195
95Warwick6,5855.6%$566,346$89,609$1,2960.0285
96Washingtonville5,7075.6%$516,964$95,313$1,3510.0285
97New Square9,8035.6%$793,683$31,443$1,7990.0264
98Depew15,0004.2%$260,964$73,556$1,061inf
99Dunkirk12,5494.7%$128,151$53,299$8660.0216
100Plattsburgh19,8305.9%$244,069$57,630$1,0300.0264

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.