As much as Carrie Bradshaw sold us on the glitz and glamour of being single in the city whilst owning a West Village walk-up, that isn’t the reality for most homeowners across the five boroughs. Married couples make up the majority of homeowners in every borough except Manhattan, so maybe the West Village walk-up dream Carrie sold us isn’t quite dead yet.
While New York City’s homeownership rate stands at only around 33%, the makeup of those homeowners varies greatly from borough to borough. Married couples are most dominant in Staten Island, where they account for around 60% of homeowners. They also make up roughly 53% of homeowners in both Brooklyn and Queens, 41% in the Bronx, and 45% in Manhattan. Staten Island may offer more of the suburban lifestyle, but Brooklyn and Queens provide a happy medium: more affordability than Manhattan, while still offering that city feel and easy access to the subway.
While Brooklyn and Queens may be NYC’s most loved boroughs, hope isn’t totally lost for those of us still choosing the overpriced single in the city lifestyle. Realtor.com states, non-family owners make up the largest share of homeowners in Manhattan at 48%. It seems the NYC housing market has its own relationship timeline: single in Manhattan, coupled up in Brooklyn, and married with a mortgage in Staten Island.
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