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.
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.
Manhattan Rentals Under $3K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
South Harlem
227 Lenox Avenue
$2,375No Fee
Studio |
1
Washington Heights
206 Audubon Avenue
$2,100No Fee
2 |
1
Fort George
550 West 184th Street
$3,000No Fee
4 |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
305 West 52nd Street
$2,950No Fee
Studio |
1
Upper West Side
580 Amsterdam Avenue
$2,600No Fee
1 |
1
Yorkville
525 East 81st Street
$2,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Yorkville
406 East 83rd Street
$2,475No Fee
Studio |
1
Yorkville
328 East 84th Street
$2,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Lenox Hill
405 East 69th Street
$2,700No Fee
Studio |
1
Yorkville
441 East 83rd Street
$2,650No Fee
Studio |
1
Lincoln Square
39 West 71st Street
$2,450No Fee
Studio |
1
Manhattan Valley
354 Cathedral Parkway
$2,995No Fee
1 |
1
Manhattan Homes Under $1M on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Washington Heights
664 West 161st Street
$625,000
3 |
2
Turtle Bay
255 East 49th Street
$930,000
1 |
1.5
Upper West Side
269 West 72nd Street
$750,000
1 |
1
Yorkville
515 East 88th Street
$375,000
1 |
1
Hamilton Heights
505 West 143rd Street
$450,000
3 |
1
Sutton Place
220 East 57th Street
$649,000
1 |
1
Lenox Hill
360 East 72nd Street
$895,000
1 |
1
Upper West Side
2373 Broadway
$950,000
1 |
1
Fulton/Seaport
100 Beekman Street
$740,000
1 |
1
Gramercy Park
102 East 22nd Street
$785,000
1 |
1
Yorkville
521 East 83rd Street
$425,000
1 |
1
Hudson Heights
736 West 186th Street
$440,000
1 |
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.
Brooklyn Rentals Under $2,700 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Bushwick
227 Eldert Street
$2,350No Fee
2 |
1
Greenpoint
598 Humboldt Street
$2,700No Fee
1 |
1
Wingate
519 Maple Street
$2,500No Fee
1 |
1
Flatbush
784 Rogers Avenue
$2,695No Fee
2 |
1
Prospect Lefferts Gardens
239 Ocean Avenue
$1,882No Fee
Studio |
1
Prospect Lefferts Gardens
433 Rogers Avenue
$2,446No Fee
1 |
1
Fort Hamilton
135 93rd Street
$2,699No Fee
2 |
1
Prospect Lefferts Gardens
305 Ocean Avenue
$2,246No Fee
1 |
1
Crown Heights
2027 Pacific Street
$2,320No Fee
1 |
1
Stuyvesant Heights
270 Malcolm X Boulevard
$2,700No Fee
1 |
1
East Flatbush
1634 Flatbush Avenue
$2,400No Fee
1 |
1
Ditmas Park
529 East 22nd Street
$2,225No Fee
2 |
1
Brooklyn Homes Under $950K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Coney Island
2928 West Fifth Street
$349,000
2 |
1
Crown Heights
823 Classon Avenue
$775,000
1 |
1
Bushwick
1218 Putnam Avenue
$545,000
1 |
1
Bath Beach
8616 21st Avenue
$599,900
1 |
1
Prospect Park South
25 Parade Place
$939,000
2 |
1
Homecrest
1730 East 18th Street
$429,000
2 |
1
Cypress Hills
17 Pennsylvan Avenue
$350,000
3 |
1
Ditmas Park
415 Argyle Road
$475,000
1 |
1
Coney Island
2935 West 5th Street
$360,000
1 |
1
Clinton Hill
372 Dekalb Avenue
$895,000
2 |
2
Flatlands
4404 Flatland Avenue
$835,000
3 |
1.5
Ditmas Park
415 Argyle Road
$525,000
1 |
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.
Queens Rentals Under $2,500 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Woodside
41-02 69th Street
$1,750No Fee
1 |
1
Astoria
24-15 41st Street
$2,250No Fee
1 |
1
Lindenwood
149-37 88th Street
$2,500No Fee
2 |
1.5
Astoria
27-15 27th Street
$2,400No Fee
Studio |
1
Ridgewood
6-13 Grandview Avenue
$2,100No Fee
Studio |
1
Jackson Heights
33-24 77th Street
$1,844No Fee
1 |
1
Ditmars-Steinway
23-37 38th Street
$2,300No Fee
1 |
1
Astoria
33-69 13th Street
$2,490No Fee
2 |
1
Astoria
35-16 29th Street
$2,500No Fee
2 |
1
Astoria
32-60 41st Street
$1,950No Fee
Studio |
1
Forest Hills
111-32 76th Avenue
$2,290No Fee
1 |
1
Sunnyside
45-16 39 Place
$1,925No Fee
Studio |
1
Queens Homes Under $750K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Ditmars-Steinway
22-25 75th Street
$495,000
1 |
1
Bay Terrace (Queens)
13-10 212nd Street
$535,000
2 |
1
Murray Hill (Queens)
144-44 Sanford Avenue
$329,000
1 |
1
Hollis
102-38 187th Street
$719,000
3 |
2
Jackson Heights
33-45 90th Street
$419,000
2 |
1
Jackson Heights
37-27 86th Street
$199,999
1 |
1
Arverne
611 Beach 65th Street
$549,000
3 |
3
Astoria
31-23 Crescent Street
$429,000
1 |
1
Woodside
37-59 61st Street
$699,000
2 |
2
Kew Gardens
83-60 118th Street
$180,000
1 |
1
Forest Hills
70-25 Yellowstone Boulevard
$575,000
2 |
1
Sunnyside
39-45 51st Street
$360,000
1 |
1
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.
Staten Island Rentals on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Saint George
5 Stuyvesant Place
$2,700No Fee
1 |
1
Saint George
30 Daniel Low Terrace
$2,195No Fee
2 |
1
Saint George
5 Stuyvesant Place
$2,400No Fee
Studio |
1
Mariners Harbor
24 Continental Place
$3,464No Fee
3 |
1
Eltingville
147 Cortelyou Avenue
$2,395No Fee
1 |
1
West Brighton
508 Delafield Avenue
$3,200No Fee
3 |
1
Mariners Harbor
24 Continental Place
$2,762No Fee
2 |
1
Grasmere
148 Fayette Avenue
$1,600No Fee
1 |
1
Westerleigh
212 Manor Road
$2,800No Fee
3 |
1.5
Westerleigh
212 Manor Road
$1,850No Fee
1 |
1
Saint George
141 Saint Mark’s Place
$3,000No Fee
2 |
1.5
South Beach
34 Andrews Road
$5,000No Fee
Studio |
1
Staten Island Homes on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Emerson Hill
16 Hunter Street
$1,080,000
4 |
2.5
Greenridge
88 Annadale Road
$749,000
3 |
1.5
Dongan Hills
21 Liberty Avenue
$1,188,000
3 |
2.5
New Springville
19 Donna Court
$340,000
1 |
1
Midland Beach
495 Buel Avenue
$659,000
3 |
1.5
Oakwood
357 Chesterton Avenue
$679,000
3 |
1.5
Egbertville
39 Geldner Avenue
$1,399,999
4 |
3.5
Tottenville
18 Jeffrey Place
$2,549,000
4 |
3
Mariners Harbor
36 Eleanor Place
$429,999
2 |
3
Meiers Corners
535 Ingram Avenue
$859,999
3 |
3
Rosebank
86 Virginia Avenue
$899,000
4 |
3
Silver Lake
1100 Clove Road
$189,000
1 |
1
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.
Bronx Rentals Under $2,300 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Schuylerville
3054 East Tremont Avenue
$1,550No Fee
1 |
1
Concourse
711 Walton Avenue
$1,450No Fee
Studio |
1
University Heights
86 West 183rd Street
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Fordham
2350 Creston Avenue
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Bronxwood
2901 Matthews Avenue
$1,800No Fee
1 |
1
Fordham
2670 Bainbridge Avenue
$1,400No Fee
Studio |
1
East Tremont
2239 Adams Place
$1,845No Fee
2 |
1
Mott Haven
349 East 138th Street
$2,211No Fee
1 |
3
Mott Haven
25 Bruckner Boulevard
$2,297No Fee
Studio |
1
Woodstock
762 Union Avenue
$2,155No Fee
2 |
1
Melrose
370 East 152nd Street
$2,150No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
25 Bruckner Boulevard
$2,292No Fee
1 |
1
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