Queens County vs Suffolk County
Queens County, New York versus Suffolk County, New York: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Queens County and Suffolk County score about the same overall (40 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Queens County | Suffolk County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $82k | $122k |
| Cost of Living | $86k | $77k |
| Home Value | $678k | $491k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.87% | 2.04% |
| Income Tax | 10.90% | 10.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.53% | 8.53% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.86% | 21.88% |
| Unemployment | 7.0% | 4.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 34°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 78°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.4 in | 47.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 27.6 in | 30.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 227 days | 237 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 64°F |
| Comfortable Days | 86 days | 101 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 99.2 | 97.3 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 82.1 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | — | 391/100k |
| Property Crime | — | 698/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 2,360,826 | 1,524,486 |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 41.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.77 | 0.45 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+46 | Even |
| White (%) | 23.8% | 65.1% |
| Black (%) | 16.7% | 7.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 28.0% | 20.6% |
| Asian (%) | 25.9% | 4.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.6% | 3.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 44 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 14.3/20 | 8.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 4 mi | 61 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.2% | 91.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 7.11 | 0.41 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Queens County or Suffolk County more affordable?
- Suffolk County has the lower cost of living: its index is $77k, compared with Queens County's $86k and Suffolk County's $77k. Median rent is $2k in Queens County versus $2k in Suffolk County.
- Are homes cheaper in Queens County or Suffolk County?
- The median home value is $678k in Queens County and $491k in Suffolk County, so homes are more affordable in Suffolk County.