New York City vs Boston

Side-by-side comparison of New York City, NY and Boston, MA — population, economics, education, health, hospitals, climate, and cost of living from official U.S. government data.

New York City
New York
Pop: 8.6M
Income: $103,931
Home: $1,090,500
Boston
Massachusetts
Pop: 654K
Income: $95,631
Home: $705,800

Population

Population
8.6M
Population
654K
Median Age
38.9 yrs
Median Age
33.9 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A

Economics

Median Household Income
$103,931
Median Household Income
$95,631
Median Home Value
$1,090,500
Median Home Value
$705,800
Median Rent
$2,197
Median Rent
$2,129
Poverty Rate
16.5%
Poverty Rate
16.2%
Unemployment Rate
7.6%
Unemployment Rate
6.3%
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
10-Year Income Growth
N/A

Education & Work

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
64.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
50.6%
Work From Home
25.5%
Work From Home
19.9%
Public Transit
43.8%
Public Transit
22.4%

Health (CDC PLACES)

Frequent Mental Distress
14.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.3%
Obesity
19.2%
Obesity
24.2%
Physical Inactivity
20.4%
Physical Inactivity
23.8%
Smoking
8.2%
Smoking
11.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
6.8%
Lack of Health Insurance
6.6%

Healthcare

Hospitals
16
Hospitals
16
Avg Hospital Rating
3.2/5
Avg Hospital Rating
4/5

Demographics

New York City Population
White 48.3%
African American 13.7%
Asian 12.4%
Two or More Races 1.2%
Boston Population
White 46.2%
African American 18.2%
Asian 9.3%
Two or More Races 3.1%
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Data Sources

Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-year estimates). Health data from the CDC PLACES (2023). Hospital data from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020). Cost of living from BEA Regional Price Parities via FRED.