Best for affordability: New York, New York
New York, New York looks like the easiest place here to live with less financial drag. It comes out ahead on rent and home price.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare San Francisco vs New York on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 97 times on WhyThere. 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.
San FranciscoNew York
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on sunshine.
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 | 864,816 | 8,804,190 |
| Population Density | 18.2k /sq mi | 28.7k /sq mi |
| Elevation | 52 ft(16 m) | 33 ft(10 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $1,268,418 | $797,328 |
| Median Rent | $3,666 | $3,643 |
| Median Income | $136,689 | $76,607 |
| Rent Burden | 32% | 57% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Sunny Days | 240 days/yr | 291 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 62°F | 63°F |
| Comfort Score | 91/100Excellent | 59/100Good |
| Temp Swing | 13°F | 44°F |
| Annual Rainfall | 23"(58 cm) | 54"(137 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 7"(18 cm) |
| Air Quality | AQI 41 (Avg)1 days > 100 | AQI 52 (Avg)35 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walk Score | 72 | 90 |
| Transit Score | 100 | 100 |
| Safety Score | 58 / 100 | 56 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.3/10 | 5.1/10 |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 55%Cable: 99% | Fiber: 37%Cable: 90% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 39.3 years | 37.5 years |
| College Educated | 60% | 40% |
| Remote Workers | 23% | 13% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | 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 San Francisco | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in New York |
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