What County Is Manhattan In? Guide to NYC Counties

In most of America, a single county contains multiple cities and towns. But the city of New York is made up of five counties. So what county is Manhattan in? Unsurprisingly, that would be New York County. In fact, each of New York City’s five boroughs corresponds to its own county:

Manhattan = New York County
Brooklyn = Kings County
Queens = Queens County
Staten Island = Richmond County
The Bronx = Bronx County

While there is a centralized government for NYC, each of the boroughs has a certain amount of autonomy. Each also has representation in the city government. They’re recognized as their own counties primarily for judicial/legal reasons. For a deep dive into the geographical history, let’s get to know how each county came to be.

What County Is Manhattan In?
What County Is Brooklyn In?
What County Is Queens In?
What County Is Staten Island In?
What County Is the Bronx In?

What County Is Manhattan In?

When people think of New York City, they typically think of Manhattan. It was the city’s first borough and county. The 23-square-mile island was originally given the name “Mannahatta” (meaning “island of many hills”) by the indigenous Lenapes. It was renamed “Nieuw Amsterdam” by the Dutch and then “New York” by the British.

Manhattan quickly became the nation’s center of economic and political power. It was even the first capital of the United States. But in the late 19th century, Chicago began outpacing Manhattan. To stay competitive, Manhattan decided to expand. It incorporated its surrounding counties into the larger municipality of New York City, with itself as New York County. That’s why the answer to “What county is Manhattan in?” isn’t simply “Manhattan.”

The expansion was a smart move. Manhattan has a current population of 1.6 million, which nearly doubles from the influx of daily commuters. It also serves as the center of the US publishing, financial, and theater industries, among others. And it attracts millions of tourists annually — 66.6 million in 2019.

As you’d expect, this is a desirable place to live if you want to be in the center of everything. But it isn’t cheap. According to the StreetEasy Data Dashboard, as of August 2021, the median asking price for a home in Manhattan is $1.4 million. And the median asking rent is $3,100 per month.

Yorkville

204 East 84th Street

$3,000 base rent

Studio |

Lower East Side

200 Allen Street

$2,750 base rent

Studio |

South Harlem

15 West 116th Street

$2,940 base rent

2 |

Turtle Bay

231 East 50th Street

$2,995 base rent

Studio |

Manhattan Valley

4 West 101st Street

$3,000 base rent

1 |

Hudson Yards

445 West 36th Street

$2,600 base rent

Studio |

East Harlem

300 East 103rd Street

$2,328 base rent

Studio |

Upper West Side

315 West 75th Street

$3,000 base rent

Studio |

South Harlem

200 West 119th Street

$2,888 base rent

3 |

Upper West Side

104 West 80th Street

$2,800 base rent

Studio |

Hell’s Kitchen

659 Tenth Avenue

$2,900 base rent

Studio |

Washington Heights

725 West 172nd Street

$2,700 base rent

2 |

Lincoln Square

201 West 70th Street

$799,000

1 |

Upper West Side

440 West End Avenue

$725,000

1 |

Battery Park City

377 Rector Place

$899,000

1 |

Financial District

20 Pine Street

$999,000

1 |

Upper West Side

372 Central Park West

$899,000

1 |

Yorkville

446 East 86th Street

$645,000

1 |

Beekman

424 East 52nd Street

$925,000

2 |

Sutton Place

60 Sutton Place South

$689,000

1 |

Turtle Bay

224 East 52nd Street

$799,999

1 |

Central Harlem

300 West 145th Street

$850,000

2 |

Turtle Bay

212 East 47th Street

$850,000

1 |

Upper West Side

242 West 104th Street

$575,000

1 |

What County Is Brooklyn In?

In its early history, Brooklyn was just one of many small villages settled by the Dutch. They called it “Breukelen” after a town in the Netherlands that is likewise situated along a river. When the British took over, they Anglicized the name to “Brooklyn” and consolidated the surrounding villages into Kings County, after King Charles II.

The introduction of ferry service in 1814 allowed Manhattan workers to live in the more affordable Brooklyn and commute. This led to a population boom in Kings County, helping Brooklyn to become the third-largest city in the country by the mid-19th century. The completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 made commuting even easier. So when Manhattan first came courting, Brooklyn was not overly enthusiastic about being incorporated. It eventually joined New York City in 1898.

Today, Brooklyn is the most populous of NYC’s boroughs with 2.59 million residents spread across 69.4 square miles. The median asking rent here is $2,650 as of August 2021, while the median asking sale price is $925,000.

Bushwick

56 Jefferson Street

$2,667 base rent

1 |

1.5

Canarsie

381 De Witt Avenue

$2,650 base rent

2 |

Flatbush

270 Clarkson Avenue

$2,226 base rent

1 |

Borough Park

915 44th Street

$1,900 base rent

1 |

Midwood

1456 Coney Island Avenue

$1,800 base rent

1 |

Stuyvesant Heights

582 Mac Donough Street

$2,500 base rent

Studio |

Kensington

210 Parkville Avenue

$2,600 base rent

1 |

Flatbush

2109 Regent Place

$2,650 base rent

1 |

Flatbush

1283 Rogers Avenue

$2,600 base rent

1 |

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

335 Lefferts Avenue

$2,500 base rent

1 |

Bushwick

43 Weirfield Street

$2,700 base rent

2 |

East Flatbush

3510 Avenue H

$2,299 base rent

1 |

Coney Island

501 Surf Avenue

$689,000

2 |

Homecrest

2170 Brigham Street

$239,000

2 |

Clinton Hill

185 Hall Street

$599,000

1 |

Flatbush

160 East 31st Street

$825,000

5 |

2.5

Bushwick

189 Cooper Street

$545,000

1 |

Marine Park

1523 East 34th Street

$899,000

3 |

2.5

Sheepshead Bay

2241 Plumb 1st Street

$225,000

2 |

Midwood

920 East 17th Street

$417,500

2 |

Park Slope

19 Prospect Park West

$915,000

1 |

Bedford-Stuyvesant

197 Pulaski Street

$599,000

1 |

Windsor Terrace

81 Ocean Parkway

$836,000

2 |

Bushwick

78 Harman Street

$599,000

1 |

What County Is Queens In?

Just as Kings County was named after King Charles II, Queens County was named after his wife, Queen Catherine. But unlike other boroughs, Queens addresses can be tricky. For example, Queens residents typically list their neighborhood on mailing addresses rather than their borough or county name. (So “Astoria, NY,” as opposed to “Queens, NY.” There are multiple theories on how this came to be.

Another quirk is the hyphen in Queens street addresses. (For example, 79-01 35th Avenue.) Here’s an easy decoder: The first number is the nearest cross street. In this case, it’s 79th Street. The second number is how far up the block the building is from that cross street. The “01” in this example indicates that it’s the first building, and likely on the corner. With all that info right in the address itself, it’s virtually impossible to get lost!

That’s a good thing, since Queens is a sprawling 178 square miles — the largest borough by far. It’s home to 2.29 million residents, with a median asking price of $599,999 as of August 2021. The median asking rent is $2,250.

Sunnyside

41-25 44th Street

$2,100 base rent

Studio |

Rockaway Park

108-12 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

$2,300 base rent

Studio |

Astoria

25-71 35th Street

$2,000 base rent

1 |

Murray Hill (Queens)

36-20 168th Street

$2,300 base rent

1 |

Murray Hill (Queens)

36-25 191st Street

$2,050 base rent

1 |

Astoria

31-84 30th Street

$2,300 base rent

Studio |

Jamaica

89-25 162nd Street

$2,474 base rent

1 |

Jackson Heights

37-56 80th Street

$2,000 base rent

Studio |

Woodside

59-16 Woodside Avenue

$2,278 base rent

1 |

Jamaica

89-25 162nd Street

$2,500 base rent

1 |

Elmhurst

42-15 81st Street

$2,500 base rent

1 |

Forest Hills

67-30 Clyde Street

$2,250 base rent

Studio |

Auburndale

35-21 205th Street

$239,000

1 |

Beechhurst

166-25 Powell Cove Boulevard

$475,000

1 |

Woodside

70-25 Queens Boulevard

$630,000

2 |

Forest Hills

78-14 Austin Street

$269,000

1 |

Forest Hills

72-11 110th Street

$498,000

2 |

Jamaica

157-12 110th Avenue

$679,000

3 |

Rockaway Park

133 Beach 116th Street

$650,000

2 |

Jackson Heights

34-40 78th Street

$299,000

1 |

Kew Gardens Hills

144-14 77 Road

$348,000

2 |

Glen Oaks

71-46 Little Neck Parkway

$265,000

1 |

Forest Hills

100-11 67 Road

$359,000

1 |

Rego Park

92-29 Queens Boulevard

$620,000

2 |

1.5

What County Is Staten Island In?

The Dutch called it “Staaten Eylandt,” but the British renamed it “Richmond” after the Duke of Richmond. Because of the continued usage of “Staten Island,” however, the borough was renamed that in 1977. It retains “Richmond” as the borough’s county name.

Fun fact: This 59-square-mile island was the object of a tug of war between New Jersey and New York for nearly 200 years! Each state disputed the other’s jurisdiction over Staten Island’s surrounding waters until the borders were finally settled in 1833. By the late 19th century, the quiet fishing and farming community was in need of substantial infrastructure investments. Thus, residents agreed to consolidate with NYC in 1898 by a margin of 5 to 1.

But that’s not the end of the story. Over the years, the scrappy island with a population of nearly 475,000 often changed its mind. It has tried to secede from NYC multiple times, very nearly succeeding in 1993. The latest attempt was in 2019, but that also came to naught.

Staten Island is extremely affordable compared to other boroughs. The median asking rent here as of August 2021 is $1,950. The median asking sale price is $659,000.

Saint George

90 Bay Street Landing

$2,500 base rent

Studio |

West Brighton

528 Forest Avenue

$3,000 base rent

4 |

New Dorp

2670 Amboy Road

$2,300 base rent

2 |

Woodrow

317 Darlington Avenue

$3,900 base rent

4 |

1.5

Woodrow

317 Darlington Avenue

$3,500 base rent

3 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$3,092 base rent

1 |

Saint George

5 Stuyvesant Place

$3,023 base rent

1 |

Saint George

30 Daniel Low Terrace

$1,800 base rent

1 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$3,346 base rent

2 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$3,277 base rent

1 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$4,426 base rent

2 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$3,042 base rent

1 |

Huguenot

52 Nicolosi Loop

$3,250,000

3 |

4.5

South Beach

16 Orlando Street

$649,000

6 |

Emerson Hill

27 Witteman Place

$1,399,000

2 |

South Beach

200 Sand Lane

$599,999

3 |

Bay Terrace

168 Hopkins Avenue

$849,000

3 |

3.5

Todt Hill

26 High Point Road

$2,399,000

6 |

4.5

Annadale

290 Koch Boulevard

$2,149,000

4 |

Saint George

10 Bay Street Landing

$829,000

2 |

1.5

Richmondtown

65 Ironwood Street

$875,000

3 |

Princes Bay

305 Woodvale Avenue

$1,190,000

4 |

2.5

Saint George

90 Bay Street Landing

$699,000

1 |

1.5

Eltingville

500 Pompey Avenue

$999,900

5 |

2.5

What County Is the Bronx In?

Despite a dense population of 1.4 million, the Bronx manages to squeeze in some of the city’s largest swaths of green space. Its 57 square miles contain the New York Botanical Garden and Van Cortlandt Park. It’s also home to iconic destinations like Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo.

The last of the boroughs to join NYC, the Bronx is also the only one that’s not part of an island. It’s named for Jonas Bronck, who established a Dutch settlement in 1639 and amassed a whopping 500 acres. No wonder early residents referred to the area as “Bronck’s Land,” which eventually morphed into “the Bronx.”

But unlike the other boroughs, the Bronx didn’t start out as its own county. NYC began annexing parcels of Westchester County in 1874. By 1898, the boundaries of the Bronx were taking shape. But it was still considered part of New York County until 1912, when it was established on its own as Bronx County.

The first subway connecting Manhattan to the Bronx opened in 1904. Subsequent subway lines allowed for an influx of new residents eager to commute to Manhattan from a more affordable area. The median rent in the Bronx is $2,075 as of August 2021. And the median asking sale price is $479,000, the lowest of all five boroughs.