State relocation profile · Federal data
New York
New York sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 107.9
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,579
- 2BR rent / mo
- $83,188
- Median salary
- 36.6
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, New York ranks #48 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (36.6/100, F), with its strongest marks in wages and environment.
- #48 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 36.6
- Life Score · F
- 107.9
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $83,188
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: schools (4/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), New York ranks #48 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 107.9 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,579/mo, median salary $83,188; Life Score 36.6/100 (F), strongest in wages and environment.
Signature: Life Score 36.6/100 places New York #48 of 51 (bottom third of scored states).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 107.9 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,579/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $83,188.
Composite Life Score 36.6/100 (F) puts New York in the bottom third (#48 of 51).
Metro book is dense (13 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet NY · New York 36.6/100 · F · #48 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-WAGES · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #48/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±1.2 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 107.9
- LEAD-WAGES Lead · wages
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: New Jersey (+ 1.2 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around New York
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest New York on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
New York childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for New York (infant $13,869/yr leads the book).
New York Life Score breakdown
New York composites to 36.6/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #48 of 51.
New York - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Wages
Wages
94 /100
- Environment
Environment
58 /100
- Safety 32
Safety
32 /100
- Childcare 25
Childcare
25 /100
- Rent 18
Rent
18 /100
- Cost of living 8
Cost of living
8 /100
- Schools 4
Schools
4 /100
What this shows New York's strongest dimensions are wages and environment; its weakest among scored dims is schools at 4/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near New York on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to New York on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in New York
Explore detailed relocation data for 13 metropolitan areas in New York. New York contains 13 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Albany-Schenectady-Troy, Binghamton, Buffalo-Cheektowaga and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
New York cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; New York wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.