Garden City vs New York

Which is the better fit for you?

Garden City, NY
71
Area Score
Top 11% nationally
New York, NY
61
Area Score
Top 43% nationally

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Garden City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Garden City to New York

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 112.6 against 112.6 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$163 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $2,910 in New York against $2,747 in Garden City.
The median home
28% less
$777,600 in New York against $1,075,900 in Garden City.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F milder
Normal January lows are 28°F in New York against 26°F in Garden City; July highs are 85°F against 84°F (summers 1°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Garden City
New York
Opportunity: Garden City is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
81 · Top 7%
vs
54 · Bottom 46%
Growth: New York is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
17 · Bottom 4%
vs
60 · Top 29%
Climate: New York is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
71 · Top 45%
vs
72 · Top 39%
Physical resilience: Garden City is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
93 · Top 9%
vs
75 · Top 30%
Housing affordability: Garden City is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
45 · Bottom 15%
vs
40 · Bottom 10%
Schools: Garden City is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
96 · Top 1%
vs
54 · Top 44%
Access: New York is the more favorable of the two.
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs
99 · Top 16%
Economic stability: Garden City is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
76 · Top 10%
vs
42 · Bottom 24%

Measured values

MetricGarden CityNew YorkSource period
Population22,9418,483,8442024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$244,152 — more favorable$80,4832024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$104,010 — more favorable$51,8442024 ACS 5-Year
Population density4,306/sq mi28,236/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$1,075,900$777,6002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$3,265$1,821 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,747 — more favorable$2,910FY2026
Cost of living index112.6112.62023
Homeownership rate93.7%32.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.7% — more favorable5.3%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)+1.1% — more favorable−0.4%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher75.9% — more favorable41.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate2.8% — more favorable17.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)028,51312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.03.4 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−100.0%+54.6%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high84°F85°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low26°F28°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation43.3"49.5"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport9 mi9 miNASR current cycle
Average commute38.7 min — more favorable43.8 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age41.338.22024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools91,8422024-25 school year
Students per teacher10.3 — more favorable11.92024-25 school year
Math proficiency87.0% — more favorable62.9%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency80.7% — more favorable64.8%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility6.1%78.6%2024-25 school 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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Garden City

Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.

New York

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Garden City
—
Garden City: Your Score
71
Area Score
New York
—
New York: Your Score
61
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Garden City, NY · New York, NY · How this is calculated: methodology