| Measure | New York CityNew York, United States Remove New York City | Albany (NY)New York, United States Remove Albany (NY) |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.9 | 6.5 |
| Connector Score | 9.4 | 7.8 |
| Safety | 4.9 | 3.6 |
| Affordability | 2.9 | 6.7 |
| Transportation | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| Walkability | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| Things to do | 8.3 | 6.2 |
| Food & dining | 7.2 | 5.9 |
| Places to stay | 8.4 | 5.7 |
| Nature & outdoors | 2.0 | 5.5 |
| Scenic value | 3.0 | 5.8 |
| Family friendliness | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 6.1 | 5.8 |
| Nightlife | 5.5 | 7.5 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 6.5 | 5.6 |
| Road-trip convenience | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 7.8 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $350 | $137 |
| Mid-range | $538 | $198 |
| Luxury | $1,035 | $325 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 138 | 98 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $3,250 | $1,400 |
| Median home price | $775,000 | $234,700 |
| Population | 8.6M | 102K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Bus Airport EV charging | Drive Train Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from New York City | — | 2 h 30 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Road trips, Car-free travel | Car-free travel, Nightlife |
| Known for | Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music | National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Nightlife, Live music, Shopping |
| When to go | — | Peak: During legislative session weekdays, fa… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.