Boston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Boston
New York
Opportunity
68 · Top 22%
vs71 · Top 17%
Growth
47 · Bottom 37%
vs56 · Top 43%
Climate
65 · Bottom 34%
vs72 · Top 41%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 1%
vs75 · Top 22%
Housing affordability
44 · Bottom 9%
vs34 · Bottom 3%
Access
99 · Top 22%
vs99 · Top 22%
Economic stability
55 · Top 49%
vs45 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Boston | New York | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 666,442 | 8,483,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,344 | $80,483 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $61,698 | $51,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 13,786/sq mi | 28,236/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $731,700 | $777,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,147 | $1,821 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 35.7% | 32.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | 0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.9% | 41.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 17.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,086 | 28,513 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 3.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 21.2% | 54.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 49.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.1 min | 43.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.3 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Boston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
New York
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Boston, MA · New York, NY · How this is calculated: methodology