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
East Village
188 Avenue A
$2,500No Fee
2 |
1
Chinatown
13 Ludlow Street
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Upper West Side
320 West 96th Street
$2,000No Fee
Studio |
1
Central Harlem
200 West 138th Street
$2,600No Fee
Studio |
1
Hudson Yards
454 West 36th Street
$2,575No Fee
1 |
1
Hamilton Heights
676 Riverside Drive
$2,650No Fee
1 |
1
Gramercy Park
328 East 15th Street
$2,800No Fee
1 |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
324 West 47th Street
$2,795No Fee
Studio |
1
Central Harlem
117 West 141st Street
$3,000No Fee
3 |
1
Washington Heights
946 Saint Nicholas Avenue
$1,900No Fee
1 |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
448 West 55th Street
$2,395No Fee
Studio |
1
Kips Bay
254 East 33rd Street
$2,600No Fee
Studio |
1
Manhattan Homes Under $1M on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Yorkville
225 East 86th Street
$825,000
1 |
1
Inwood
45 Park Terrace West
$399,000
1 |
1
Roosevelt Island
575 Main Street North
$585,407
1 |
1
Central Harlem
307 West 126th Street
$699,000
1 |
1.5
Yorkville
300 East 93rd Street
$975,000
1 |
2
Hell’s Kitchen
301 West 53rd Street
$995,000
1 |
1
Murray Hill
10 Park Avenue
$850,000
1 |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
547 West 47th Street
$995,000
1 |
1
Kips Bay
245 East 25th Street
$659,000
1 |
1
Murray Hill
211 East 35th Street
$499,000
1 |
1
Lenox Hill
1160 Third Avenue
$695,000
1 |
1
Gramercy Park
333 East 14th Street
$749,000
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.
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Stuyvesant Heights
102 Patchen Avenue
$2,400No Fee
1 |
1
Fort Hamilton
9116 Third Avenue
$2,150No Fee
1 |
1
Weeksville
1306 Saint John’s Place
$2,550No Fee
2 |
1
Prospect Heights
195 Underhill Avenue
$2,649No Fee
Studio |
1
Fort Hamilton
336 93rd Street
$1,575No Fee
1 |
1
Midwood
1431 East 2nd Street
$2,300No Fee
1 |
1
Williamsburg
108 Graham Avenue
$2,500No Fee
1 |
1
Gravesend
1601 West Second Street
$2,150No Fee
1 |
1
Ditmas Park
401 East 21st Street
$2,125No Fee
1 |
1
Fort Hamilton
146 92nd Street
$2,199No Fee
2 |
1
Flatbush
2501 Newkirk Avenue
$2,195No Fee
2 |
1
Weeksville
211 Troy Avenue
$2,699No Fee
1 |
1.5
Brooklyn Homes Under $950K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Crown Heights
952 Saint Marks Avenue
$399,999
1 |
1
East New York
537 Miller Avenue
$575,000
6 |
2
Dyker Heights
1124 67th Street
$858,000
2 |
2
Brooklyn Heights
2 Grace Court
$775,000
1 |
1
Cypress Hills
2573 Atlantic Avenue
$899,000
2 |
2
East New York
358 Van Siclen Avenue
$899,000
7 |
3
Brighton Beach
2929 Brighton 5th Street
$425,000
1 |
1
Brighton Beach
2929 Brighton 5th Street
$419,000
1 |
1
Bay Ridge
7825 Fourth Avenue
$595,000
2 |
1
Flatlands
1900 East 51st Street
$799,000
4 |
2
East New York
758 Glenmore Avenue
$899,000
6 |
2
Bedford-Stuyvesant
1118 Fulton Street
$950,000
1 |
1.5
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
Astoria
25-56 35th Street
$2,400No Fee
1 |
1
Woodside
41-56 54th Street
$1,625No Fee
1 |
1
Forest Hills
114-20 Queens Boulevard
$2,350No Fee
1 |
1
Kew Gardens
83-09 Lefferts Boulevard
$2,450No Fee
1 |
1
Forest Hills
103-25 68th Avenue
$2,400No Fee
1 |
1
Woodside
41-39 52nd Street
$1,625No Fee
1 |
1
Douglaston
52-11 Browvale Drive
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Sunnyside
47-58 43rd Street
$2,300No Fee
Studio |
1
Astoria
30-49 Crescent Street
$2,399No Fee
1 |
1
Forest Hills
111-16 66th Avenue
$2,150No Fee
1 |
1
Rego Park
64-48 Booth Street
$2,250No Fee
1 |
1
Auburndale
29-33 Jordan Street
$2,500No Fee
2 |
1
Queens Homes Under $750K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Murray Hill (Queens)
144-48 Roosevelt Avenue
$628,000
2 |
2
Jackson Heights
34-41 85th Street
$499,000
1 |
1
Kew Gardens Hills
144-60 Gravett Road
$240,000
2 |
1
Kew Gardens
123-35 82 Road
$239,000
1 |
1
Middle Village
66-41 69th Street
$675,000
2 |
2
Rego Park
65-18 Austin Street
$654,990
1 |
1
Woodside
63-11 Queens Boulevard
$350,000
1 |
1
Rego Park
65-70 Booth Street
$430,000
2 |
1
Elmhurst
45-16 83rd Street
$659,800
1 |
1
Forest Hills
67-12 Yellowstone Boulevard
$488,000
2 |
1
Forest Hills
67-66 108th Street
$459,000
3 |
1
Jamaica Estates
182-25 Wexford Terrace
$299,000
2 |
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
New Springville
52 Stephen Loop
$3,500No Fee
3 |
1.5
Rossville
44 Gunton Place
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Westerleigh
1378 Forest Avenue
$2,885No Fee
2 |
1
Saint George
218 Westervelt Avenue
$1,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Grasmere
20 Kermit Avenue
$2,700No Fee
3 |
1.5
South Beach
290 Lamport Boulevard
$2,800No Fee
2 |
1
Stapleton
305 Broad Street
$2,700No Fee
2 |
376
Saint George
5 Bay Street
$4,221No Fee
2 |
2
Saint George
5 Bay Street
$2,777No Fee
1 |
1
Saint George
5 Bay Street
$2,460No Fee
Studio |
1
Saint George
5 Bay Street
$2,447No Fee
Studio |
1
Saint George
5 Bay Street
$2,447No Fee
Studio |
1
Staten Island Homes on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Port Richmond
53 Palmer Avenue
$625,000
3 |
2
New Springville
333 Travis Avenue
$788,800
3 |
1.5
New Dorp Beach
89 Isernia Avenue
$679,000
3 |
2.5
New Dorp
20 Eighth Street
$1,200,000
6 |
3
Saint George
80 Bay Street Landing
$635,000
1 |
1.5
Shore Acres
40 Hillbrook Court
$639,000
3 |
2.5
Huguenot
537 Ionia Avenue
$849,999
3 |
2.5
Castleton Corners
127 Bradley Avenue
$749,999
3 |
1
New Dorp
103 Otis Avenue
$999,000
3 |
2.5
Todt Hill
283 Ocean Terrace
$2,500,000
5 |
8
Saint George
10 Bay Street Landing
$539,000
2 |
1.5
New Springville
120 Devon Loop
$499,000
2 |
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.
Bronx Rentals Under $2,300 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
North New York
456 East 149th Street
$1,950No Fee
1 |
1
Williamsbridge
3239 Barker Avenue
$2,299No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
276 Grandconcourse
$2,275No Fee
1 |
1
Concourse
230 East 167th Street
$1,495No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
40 Bruckner Boulevard
$2,231No Fee
Studio |
1
West Farms
2095 Mohegan Avenue
$1,750No Fee
2 |
1
Fieldston
6255 Broadway
$1,800No Fee
Studio |
1
Soundview
1064 Ward Avenue
$1,542No Fee
1 |
1
North New York
456 East 149th Street
$1,950No Fee
1 |
1
Norwood
3071 Perry Avenue
$2,250No Fee
1 |
1
Concourse
1125 Sheridan Avenue
$1,791No Fee
1 |
1
Concourse
85 Mcclellan Street
$2,195No Fee
1 |
1
Bronx Homes Under $650K on StreetEasyArticle continues below