Best for affordability: Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas looks like the easiest place here to live with less financial drag. It comes out ahead on tax burden and rent burden.
New Here?
Compare New York and 3 other shortlist cities on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
New YorkSan FranciscoLos AngelesAustin
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: New York, New York
New York, New York is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on climate comfort.
Potential dealbreaker: New York, New York
New York, New York needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | ||||
| General Info | ||||
| Population | 8,804,190 | 864,816 | 3,820,914 | 974,447 |
| Population Density | 28.7k /sq mi | 18.2k /sq mi | 8.2k /sq mi | 2.9k /sq mi |
| Elevation | 33 ft(10 m) | 52 ft(16 m) | 292 ft(89 m) | 489 ft(149 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||||
| Median Home | $797,328 | $1,268,418 | $923,800 | $489,253 |
| Median Rent | $3,643 | $3,666 | $2,762 | $1,538 |
| Median Income | $76,607 | $136,689 | $76,244 | $86,556 |
| Rent Burden | 57% | 32% | 43% | 21% |
| Climate & Risks | ||||
| Sunny Days | 291 days/yr | 240 days/yr | 346 days/yr | 306 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 63°F | 62°F | 77°F | 80°F |
| Comfort Score | 59/100Good | 91/100Excellent | 98/100Excellent | 72/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 44°F | 13°F | 24°F | 35°F |
| Annual Rainfall | 54"(137 cm) | 23"(58 cm) | 19"(48 cm) | 49"(124 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 7"(18 cm) | 0"(0 cm) | 0"(0 cm) | 1"(3 cm) |
| Air Quality | AQI 52 (Avg)35 days > 100 | AQI 41 (Avg)1 days > 100 | AQI 66 (Avg)48 days > 100 | AQI 43 (Avg)25 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||||
| Walk Score | 90 | 72 | 72 | 27 |
| Transit Score | 100 | 100 | 100 | N/A |
| Safety Score | 0 (Crime Index) | 58 / 100 | 54 / 100 | 62 / 100 |
| School Rating | 5.1/10 | 6.3/10 | 5.5/10 | 8.2/10 |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 37%Cable: 90% | Fiber: 55%Cable: 99% | Fiber: 45%Cable: 93% | Fiber: 58%Cable: 95% |
| Demographics | ||||
| Median Age | 37.5 years | 39.3 years | 36.5 years | 34.2 years |
| College Educated | 40% | 60% | 37% | 56% |
| Remote Workers | 13% | 23% | 15% | 23% |
| Nature Access | ||||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in New York | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in San Francisco | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Los Angeles | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Austin |
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