State place rankings

Best Places in New York

Compare places by General Quality score or population. Each place links to its sourced facts, scores, and local summary.

All states

General Quality score

Best overall places

  1. General Quality
    Population
    7,481
    Median home value
    $880,300
  2. General Quality
    Population
    18,194
    Median home value
    $1,800,700
  3. General Quality
    Population
    2,764
    Median home value
    $2,000,001
  4. General Quality
    Population
    2,098
    Median home value
    $2,000,001
  5. Cold Spring Harbor, NY

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    3,220
    Median home value
    $1,587,900
  6. General Quality
    Population
    1,949
    Median home value
    $1,636,700
  7. General Quality
    Population
    16,614
    Median home value
    $1,819,900
  8. General Quality
    Population
    1,482
    Median home value
    $2,000,001
  9. General Quality
    Population
    5,481
    Median home value
    $1,228,800
  10. Port Washington, NY

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    18,004
    Median home value
    $1,003,200
  11. General Quality
    Population
    4,860
    Median home value
    $1,975,500
  12. Niskayuna, NY

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    21,227
    Median home value
    $357,900
  13. General Quality
    Population
    5,007
    Median home value
    $829,900
  14. General Quality
    Population
    7,328
    Median home value
    $1,461,500
  15. General Quality
    Population
    23,043
    Median home value
    $1,075,900
  16. General Quality
    Population
    3,139
    Median home value
    $1,638,700
  17. General Quality
    Population
    3,587
    Median home value
    $1,533,800
  18. General Quality
    Population
    1,113
    Median home value
    $1,525,000
  19. General Quality
    Population
    1,778
    Median home value
    $2,000,001
  20. General Quality
    Population
    9,280
    Median home value
    $858,200
  21. Manhasset, NY

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    7,716
    Median home value
    $1,356,500
  22. General Quality
    Population
    2,288
    Median home value
    $1,714,700
  23. Brighton, NY

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    36,834
    Median home value
    $282,100
  24. General Quality
    Population
    6,504
    Median home value
    $1,095,100
  25. Chappaqua, NY

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    3,046
    Median home value
    $781,100

How this list is ranked

Places are ordered by General Quality score. General Quality is a balanced livability composite spanning safety, affordability, healthcare, climate, education, jobs, mobility, outdoors, taxes, and other core factors.

Largest to smallest

Population-ranked places

  1. Population
    8,584,629
    Median home value
    $777,600
    Median rent
    $1,821
  2. Population
    274,613
    Median home value
    $164,200
    Median rent
    $1,046
  3. Population
    212,603
    Median home value
    $501,600
    Median rent
    $1,784
  4. Population
    206,108
    Median home value
    $139,600
    Median rent
    $1,081
  5. Population
    144,896
    Median home value
    $138,400
    Median rent
    $1,039
  6. Population
    101,698
    Median home value
    $234,700
    Median rent
    $1,216
  7. Population
    85,864
    Median home value
    $702,500
    Median rent
    $1,917
  8. Cheektowaga, NY

    Census-designated place

    Population
    76,056
    Median home value
    $185,500
    Median rent
    $1,055
  9. Population
    72,304
    Median home value
    $484,000
    Median rent
    $1,629
  10. Population
    69,471
    Median home value
    $168,800
    Median rent
    $1,145
  11. Population
    62,978
    Median home value
    $151,300
    Median rent
    $951
  12. Population
    62,871
    Median home value
    $620,800
    Median rent
    $2,269
  13. Population
    59,819
    Median home value
    $459,500
    Median rent
    $1,622
  14. Tonawanda Town, NY

    Census-designated place

    Population
    56,806
    Median home value
    $215,200
    Median rent
    $1,102
  15. Levittown, NY

    Census-designated place

    Population
    51,904
    Median home value
    $590,500
    Median rent
    $2,656
  16. Population
    50,912
    Median home value
    $206,500
    Median rent
    $1,175
  17. Irondequoit, NY

    Census-designated place

    Population
    50,657
    Median home value
    $182,500
    Median rent
    $1,159
  18. Population
    47,255
    Median home value
    $115,300
    Median rent
    $823
  19. Population
    47,147
    Median home value
    $758,800
    Median rent
    $1,604
  20. Population
    46,418
    Median home value
    $124,800
    Median rent
    $870
  21. West Seneca, NY

    Census-designated place

    Population
    45,303
    Median home value
    $232,800
    Median rent
    $1,106
  22. Population
    44,174
    Median home value
    $505,900
    Median rent
    $2,077
  23. Hicksville, NY

    Census-designated place

    Population
    43,780
    Median home value
    $634,100
    Median rent
    $3,113
  24. West Babylon, NY

    Census-designated place

    Population
    43,570
    Median home value
    $531,900
    Median rent
    $2,225
  25. Population
    40,379
    Median home value
    $616,100
    Median rent
    $2,124

How this list is ranked

Places are ordered by their latest available population estimate. Incorporated places and census-designated places are both eligible when they appear in the published location data.

Annual Census population estimates are used where available; ACS place estimates fill coverage gaps.