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.

Central Harlem

100 West 139th Street

$2,195 No Fee

1 |

East Harlem

2147 Second Avenue

$2,698 No Fee

1 |

East Harlem

375 Pleasant Avenue

$2,142 No Fee

2 |

Central Harlem

2600 7th Avenue

$2,833 No Fee

1 |

Central Harlem

101 Macombs Place

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

Yorkville

320 East 81st Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

East Harlem

1912 Third Avenue

$1,995 No Fee

Studio |

Morningside Heights

463 West 125th Street

$2,665 No Fee

Studio |

Yorkville

340 East 81st Street

$3,000 No Fee

Studio |

South Harlem

251 West 117th Street

$2,895 No Fee

Studio |

Central Harlem

2657 Frederick Douglass Boulevard

$2,700 No Fee

3 |

Central Harlem

2655 Frederic Douglas Boulevard

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

Central Harlem

100 West 139th Street

$2,195 No Fee

1 |

East Harlem

2147 Second Avenue

$2,698 No Fee

1 |

East Harlem

375 Pleasant Avenue

$2,142 No Fee

2 |

Central Harlem

2600 7th Avenue

$2,833 No Fee

1 |

Central Harlem

101 Macombs Place

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

Yorkville

320 East 81st Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

East Harlem

1912 Third Avenue

$1,995 No Fee

Studio |

Morningside Heights

463 West 125th Street

$2,665 No Fee

Studio |

Yorkville

340 East 81st Street

$3,000 No Fee

Studio |

South Harlem

251 West 117th Street

$2,895 No Fee

Studio |

Central Harlem

2657 Frederick Douglass Boulevard

$2,700 No Fee

3 |

Central Harlem

2655 Frederic Douglas Boulevard

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

Central Harlem

100 West 139th Street

$2,195 No Fee

1 |

East Harlem

2147 Second Avenue

$2,698 No Fee

1 |

Kips Bay

311 East 25th Street

$310,000

1 |

Upper West Side

215 West 92nd Street

$775,000

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.

Bedford-Stuyvesant

554 Gates Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

Stuyvesant Heights

643 Madison Street

$2,650 No Fee

1 |

Boerum Hill

413 Pacific Street

$2,700 No Fee

Studio |

Flatbush

948 New York Avenue

$2,700 No Fee

1 |

Bedford-Stuyvesant

346 Gates Avenue

$2,700 No Fee

1 |

Greenwood

215 23rd Street

$1,800 No Fee

1 |

Midwood

1719 East 8th Street

$2,650 No Fee

3 |

Carroll Gardens

115 Fourth Place

$2,655 No Fee

1 |

Greenpoint

148 Guernsey Street

$2,115 No Fee

1 |

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

181 Hawthorne Street

$2,150 No Fee

Studio |

Brownsville

442 East 95th Street

$1,900 No Fee

1 |

Crown Heights

905 Sterling Place

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

Bedford-Stuyvesant

554 Gates Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

Stuyvesant Heights

643 Madison Street

$2,650 No Fee

1 |

Boerum Hill

413 Pacific Street

$2,700 No Fee

Studio |

Flatbush

948 New York Avenue

$2,700 No Fee

1 |

Bedford-Stuyvesant

346 Gates Avenue

$2,700 No Fee

1 |

Greenwood

215 23rd Street

$1,800 No Fee

1 |

Midwood

1719 East 8th Street

$2,650 No Fee

3 |

Carroll Gardens

115 Fourth Place

$2,655 No Fee

1 |

Greenpoint

148 Guernsey Street

$2,115 No Fee

1 |

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

181 Hawthorne Street

$2,150 No Fee

Studio |

Brownsville

442 East 95th Street

$1,900 No Fee

1 |

Crown Heights

905 Sterling Place

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

Bedford-Stuyvesant

554 Gates Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

Stuyvesant Heights

643 Madison Street

$2,650 No Fee

1 |

Brooklyn Heights

111 Hicks Street

$725,000

1 |

Greenpoint

607 Manhattan Avenue

$850,000

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.

Jackson Heights

25-17 87th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

Jamaica

147-35 95th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

1 |

Jamaica

147-35 95th Avenue

$2,050 No Fee

Studio |

Astoria

26-31 3rd Street

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

Woodside

39-75 56th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

Kew Gardens

82-40 Austin Street

$2,100 No Fee

Studio |

Cambria Heights

119-48 228th Street

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

Sunnyside

52-25 39 Road

$2,400 No Fee

1 |

Ditmars-Steinway

21-20 21st Street

$2,300 No Fee

2 |

Jamaica

153-10 88th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

Studio |

Briarwood

147-62 Grand Central Parkway Sr South

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

Astoria

34-40 10th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

Jackson Heights

25-17 87th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

Jamaica

147-35 95th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

1 |

Jamaica

147-35 95th Avenue

$2,050 No Fee

Studio |

Astoria

26-31 3rd Street

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

Woodside

39-75 56th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

Kew Gardens

82-40 Austin Street

$2,100 No Fee

Studio |

Cambria Heights

119-48 228th Street

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

Sunnyside

52-25 39 Road

$2,400 No Fee

1 |

Ditmars-Steinway

21-20 21st Street

$2,300 No Fee

2 |

Jamaica

153-10 88th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

Studio |

Briarwood

147-62 Grand Central Parkway Sr South

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

Astoria

34-40 10th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

Jackson Heights

25-17 87th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

Jamaica

147-35 95th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

1 |

Briarwood

140-35 Burden Crescent

$249,000

1 |

Jamaica

175-24 89th Avenue

$549,000

2 |

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

5 Bay Street

$2,777 No Fee

1 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$2,460 No Fee

Studio |

Graniteville

318 Caswell Avenue

$3,000 No Fee

2 |

Saint George

119 Corson Avenue

$3,500 No Fee

3 |

401

Saint George

30 Daniel Low Terrace

$1,650 No Fee

1 |

Castleton Corners

191 Suffolk Avenue

$1,750 No Fee

1 |

New Springville

52 Stephen Loop

$3,500 No Fee

3 |

1.5

Westerleigh

1378 Forest Avenue

$2,885 No Fee

2 |

Grasmere

20 Kermit Avenue

$2,700 No Fee

3 |

1.5

South Beach

290 Lamport Boulevard

$2,800 No Fee

2 |

Stapleton

305 Broad Street

$2,700 No Fee

2 |

376

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$4,221 No Fee

2 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$2,777 No Fee

1 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$2,460 No Fee

Studio |

Graniteville

318 Caswell Avenue

$3,000 No Fee

2 |

Saint George

119 Corson Avenue

$3,500 No Fee

3 |

401

Saint George

30 Daniel Low Terrace

$1,650 No Fee

1 |

Castleton Corners

191 Suffolk Avenue

$1,750 No Fee

1 |

New Springville

52 Stephen Loop

$3,500 No Fee

3 |

1.5

Westerleigh

1378 Forest Avenue

$2,885 No Fee

2 |

Grasmere

20 Kermit Avenue

$2,700 No Fee

3 |

1.5

South Beach

290 Lamport Boulevard

$2,800 No Fee

2 |

Stapleton

305 Broad Street

$2,700 No Fee

2 |

376

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$4,221 No Fee

2 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$2,777 No Fee

1 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$2,460 No Fee

Studio |

Tottenville

43 Lerer Lane

$1,199,900

4 |

3.5

Park Hill

301 Mosel Avenue

$625,888

3 |

1.5

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.