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
Central Harlem
100 Edgecomb Avenue
$2,450No Fee
1 |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
411 West 48th Street
$2,999No Fee
1 |
1
South Harlem
272 West 115th Street
$2,200No Fee
Studio |
1
Midtown South
7 East 32nd Street
$2,895No Fee
Studio |
1
East Village
55 First Avenue
$2,800No Fee
Studio |
1
East Village
153 Avenue C
$2,475No Fee
1 |
1
Lower East Side
154 Orchard Street
$2,475No Fee
Studio |
1
Yorkville
423 East 82nd Street
$2,995No Fee
Studio |
1
East Harlem
412 East 116th Street
$2,800No Fee
2 |
1
West Village
284 West 12th Street
$2,595No Fee
Studio |
1
East Village
518 East 5th Street
$2,625No Fee
Studio |
1
Central Harlem
2847 Frederic Douglas Boulevard
$2,678No Fee
2 |
1
Manhattan Homes Under $1M on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Battery Park City
350 Albany Street
$700,000
1 |
1
Upper Carnegie Hill
1270 Fifth Avenue
$800,000
2 |
1
Central Harlem
370 Lenox Avenue
$850,000
2 |
2
Battery Park City
300 Albany Street
$529,999
1 |
1
Lenox Hill
233 East 69th Street
$670,000
1 |
1
Battery Park City
350 Albany Street
$858,000
1 |
1
Chinatown
210 Canal Street
$749,000
2 |
0.5
Hudson Heights
340 Haven Avenue
$399,000
1 |
1
Murray Hill
136 East 36th Street
$499,900
1 |
1
Central Harlem
57 West 127th Street
$597,000
1 |
1
Central Harlem
70 West 139th Street
$698,000
1 |
1
Financial District
20 Pine Street
$775,000
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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East Flatbush
1249 New York Avenue
$2,499No Fee
1 |
1
Flatbush
1498 Nostrand Avenue
$2,650No Fee
1 |
1
Bushwick
1693 Grove Street
$2,300No Fee
1 |
1
Bedford-Stuyvesant
26A Hart Street
$2,500No Fee
2 |
1
Flatbush
45 Linden Boulevard
$1,700No Fee
Studio |
1
Weeksville
1614 Prospect Place
$2,600No Fee
3 |
1
Bushwick
8 Palmetto Street
$2,027No Fee
Studio |
1
Greenwood
275 22nd Street
$2,700No Fee
1 |
1
Flatbush
177 Veronica Place
$2,650No Fee
2 |
1
Flatbush
1250 New York Avenue
$2,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Flatbush
223 Martense Street
$2,700No Fee
2 |
1
Flatbush
223 Martense Street
$2,600No Fee
2 |
1.5
Brooklyn Homes Under $950K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Coney Island
464 Neptune Avenue
$450,000
1 |
1
Greenpoint
189 Greenpoint Avenue
$799,000
1 |
1
Midwood
820 Ocean Parkway
$525,000
2 |
2
Sheepshead Bay
3903 Nostrand Avenue
$425,000
2 |
2
Ditmas Park
385 East 16th Street
$580,000
2 |
1
Coney Island
458 Neptune Avenue
$389,000
2 |
1
Bath Beach
1826 Bath Avenue
$720,000
2 |
2
Bay Ridge
7901 Fourth Avenue
$475,000
2 |
1
Kensington
415 Ocean Parkway
$370,000
1 |
1
Canarsie
9522 Flatlands Avenue
$950,000
3 |
1
Brighton Beach
51 Brighton 1 Place
$599,000
3 |
2
Wingate
409 Winthrop Street
$850,000
3 |
2
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
25-26 Hoyt Avenue South
$1,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Rego Park
65-41 Saunders Street
$2,295No Fee
1 |
1
Maspeth
69-17 62 Drive
$2,195No Fee
1 |
1
Astoria
31-42 45th Street
$2,498No Fee
2 |
1
Ditmars-Steinway
24-48 29th Street
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Forest Hills
112-15 72 Road
$2,195No Fee
1 |
1
Rockaway All
204 Beach 102nd Street
$2,375No Fee
2 |
1
Astoria
30-33 32nd Street
$2,300No Fee
1 |
1
Astoria
28-49 34th Street
$1,850No Fee
Studio |
1
Maspeth
64-05 53 Drive
$2,150No Fee
1 |
1
Forest Hills
69-81 108th Street
$1,800No Fee
Studio |
1
Astoria
31-74 35th Street
$2,170No Fee
1 |
1
Queens Homes Under $750K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Woodhaven
80-43 87 Road
$698,000
3 |
2
East Flushing
42-40 Bowne Street
$380,000
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
76-12 35th Avenue
$299,900
1 |
1
College Point
3-11 121st Street
$538,000
3 |
2.5
Rego Park
63-85 Woodhaven Boulevard
$488,000
1 |
1
Ditmars-Steinway
21-57 31st Street
$230,000
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
35-21 81st Street
$429,000
1 |
1
Sunnyside
41-42 42nd Street
$448,000
1 |
1
Kew Gardens
125-10 Queens Boulevard
$289,000
1 |
1
Rego Park
65-65 Wetherole Street
$549,000
2 |
2
Forest Hills
113-14 72 Road
$579,000
2 |
1
Springfield Gardens
137-12 167th Street
$429,000
2 |
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.
Staten Island Rentals on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Saint George
141 Saint Mark’s Place
$3,000No Fee
2 |
1.5
Saint George
5 Stuyvesant Place
$2,900No Fee
1 |
1
Saint George
268 Westervelt Avenue
$3,027No Fee
2 |
1
South Beach
34 Andrews Road
$5,000No Fee
Studio |
1
Clifton
233 Gordon Street
$3,464No Fee
3 |
1
Princes Bay
91 Finlay Avenue
$1,999No Fee
2 |
1
Grasmere
65 Parkinson Avenue
$2,500No Fee
3 |
2
Saint George
5 Stuyvesant Place
$2,400No Fee
Studio |
1
Saint George
30 Daniel Low Terrace
$1,500No Fee
1 |
1
Saint George
90 Bay Street Landing
$4,800No Fee
3 |
2.5
Graniteville
191 Lamberts Lane
$3,600No Fee
3 |
1
Saint George
90 Bay Street Landing
$3,850No Fee
2 |
2.5
Staten Island Homes on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Arrochar
220 Grasmere Drive
$748,888
4 |
2.5
Clifton
73 Greenfield Avenue
$950,000
7 |
2
Grant City
145 Lincoln Avenue
$509,000
3 |
2
Rossville
599A Correll Avenue
$465,000
2 |
1
Midland Beach
254 Sanilac Street
$999,000
4 |
2
Tompkinsville
65 Louis Street
$1,349,999
4 |
4.5
Mariners Harbor
23 Ada Drive
$438,000
2 |
1.5
Princes Bay
5 Armour Place
$799,000
3 |
2.5
Princes Bay
5 Armour Place
$799,000
3 |
2.5
Saint George
350 Richmond Terrace
$299,888
1 |
1
Huguenot
71 Dover Green
$678,000
4 |
2.5
Port Richmond
12 Dubois Avenue
$675,000
5 |
2
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
Riverdale
6629 Broadway
$1,950No Fee
1 |
1
University Heights
2305 Sedgewick Avenue
$1,599No Fee
1 |
1
Fordham
2796 Marion Avenue
$1,438No Fee
Studio |
1
Parkchester
1847 Cross Bronx Expressway
$2,250No Fee
1 |
1
Soundview
745 Taylor Avenue
$1,700No Fee
1 |
1
Pelham Bay
2978 East 196th Street
$2,300No Fee
2 |
1
Pelham Bay
3015 Roberts Avenue
$1,825No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
276 Grand Concourse
$2,033No Fee
Studio |
1
Concourse
299 East 161st Street
$2,150No Fee
Studio |
1
Concourse
299 East 161st Street
$2,200No Fee
Studio |
1
Concourse
1225 Sheridan Avenue
$1,250No Fee
Studio |
1
Port Morris
736 East 133rd Street
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Bronx Homes Under $650K on StreetEasyArticle continues below