Cost of Living in New York
What it costs to live in New York, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 19,867,248
- Median household income
- $85,820
- State income tax
- Up to 10.9%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 107.9
What a typical paycheck keeps in New York
The typical New York worker earns $59,670 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $1,800 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $59,670
- Federal income tax
- −$4,980
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,854
- State income tax
- −$2,625
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$25,440
- Everyday costs
- −$19,971
a year, or $150 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across New York.
Cost of living in New York
Prices across New York run 8% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing22% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)7% above the US average
- Utilities34% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% above the US average
- All items8% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $2,120 | $25,440 |
| Food | $529 | $6,348 |
| Transportation | $419 | $5,028 |
| Healthcare | $366 | $4,392 |
| Utilities | $350 | $4,200 |
| Total before taxes | $3,784 | $45,408 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
New York taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 3.9% |
| $8,500 | 4.4% |
| $11,700 | 5.2% |
| $13,900 | 5.4% |
| $80,650 | 5.9% |
| $215,400 | 6.8% |
| $1,077,550 | 9.7% |
| $5,000,000 | 10.3% |
| $25,000,000 | 10.9% |
Payroll programs withheld from wages
- Disability Benefits Law (DBL)0.5%
- Paid Family Leave0.4%
Tax benefit recapture is modelled for the bracket the income falls in; the extra recapture amounts above $215,400 of taxable income are not. Employee contributions to disability and Paid Family Leave insurance are counted under payroll taxes. New York City and Yonkers taxes are in the local tax table.
Taxes on the median household income
$85,820 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$10,050 |
| Payroll taxes | −$6,967 |
| State income tax | −$4,037 |
| Effective tax rate | 24.5% |
Cities in New York
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each New York city we cover.
- New York CityNew YorkTypical worker living alone: $8,670 short1-bedroom $2,926 a month
- BuffaloNew YorkTypical worker keeps $7,6581-bedroom $1,182 a month
- RochesterNew YorkTypical worker keeps $7,8441-bedroom $1,183 a month
- SyracuseNew YorkTypical worker keeps $9,2121-bedroom $1,179 a month
- AlbanyNew YorkTypical worker keeps $9,9201-bedroom $1,458 a month
- PoughkeepsieNew YorkTypical worker keeps $1,5181-bedroom $1,563 a month
What common jobs keep in New York
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $207,860 | $97,070 |
| Dentist | $183,060 | $80,205 |
| Software engineer | $166,180 | $69,663 |
| Physician assistant | $160,880 | $66,354 |
| Nurse practitioner | $153,510 | $61,798 |
| Pharmacist | $142,090 | $54,796 |
| Veterinarian | $131,830 | $48,505 |
| Data scientist | $130,460 | $47,666 |
| Financial analyst | $127,930 | $46,114 |
| Lineman | $121,280 | $42,026 |
| Project manager | $121,040 | $41,874 |
| Registered nurse | $109,440 | $34,530 |
| Respiratory therapist | $107,810 | $33,498 |
| Dental hygienist | $106,130 | $32,417 |
| Civil engineer | $103,760 | $30,889 |
Salary pages in New York, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in New York
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $492,040 |
| Anesthesiologists | $445,660 |
| Radiologists | $441,580 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $414,290 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $410,410 |
| Dermatologists | $374,010 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $348,800 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $321,550 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $321,030 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $301,690 |
| Psychiatrists | $265,890 |
| Chief Executives | $257,980 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $255,240 |
| Physicians, All Other | $242,500 |
| Financial Managers | $219,880 |
Living in New York
New York against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | New York | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $449,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,634 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 14% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 41.2% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 33.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 11.8% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare New York with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in New York?
Prices in New York are 8% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $2,120 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,664 a month.
Does New York have a state income tax?
Yes. New York's income tax rate is up to 10.9%. On a typical wage of $59,670, a single filer pays about $2,625 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in New York?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $57,300 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in New York earns $59,670 and keeps $1,800 after those costs.
Where in New York does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the New York cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Albany ($9,920 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in New York City ($8,670 short).
What jobs pay the most in New York?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in New York goes to Cardiologists ($492,040); Anesthesiologists ($445,660); Radiologists ($441,580) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate