Every year in the United States, tens of millions of Americans move to a new home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the bulk of these moves are motivated by personal circumstances, often relating to housing, family, or employment. But when it comes to deciding on a place to live, it can also be helpful to weigh other, less subjective factors.
As a means of gauging and comparing degrees of development between countries — beyond standard measures like gross domestic product and economic growth — the United Nations created the Human Development Index. By accounting for factors related to health and well-being, educational attainment, and standards of living, the HDI offers an assessment of overall quality of life at the individual level within a given geography.
When applied to communities within the United States, the core principles of the HDI reveal that some parts of the country are far better places to live than others.
Using an index inspired by the HDI, 24/7 Wall St. identified the best counties in New York state to live in. Counties are ranked on a combination of three measures – average life expectancy at birth, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the poverty rate. Of the 62 counties in New York, we ranked the 30 with the highest HDI score.
Across all of New York, average life expectancy at birth is 80.3 years. Additionally, 13.6% of the population live below the poverty line and 38.8% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Of the 30 counties on this list, four compare favorably to the state as a whole in each of these metrics.
Among these 30 New York counties, average life expectancy at birth ranges from 78.0 years to 83.7 years. Meanwhile, poverty rates vary between 5.4% and 19.0%, and bachelor’s degree attainment rates range from 25% to over 60%.
Data used to calculate rankings are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. All ACS data are five-year averages.
Why It Matters
Many of the most commonly cited economic indicators — including unemployment, GDP, and industrial output — are useful gauges of prosperity and productive capacity in a given area. But when it comes to measuring overall quality of life, any single metric inevitably falls short. To address these shortcomings, the HDI combines three key social and economic measures into a single index score, allowing for objective comparisons between communities across the United States.
30. Schoharie County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.0 years
- Poverty rate: 10.1%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 25.0%
- Median household income: $71,479
- Population: 29,970
29. Greene County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.7 years
- Poverty rate: 10.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 27.6%
- Median household income: $70,294
- Population: 48,067
28. Tioga County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.7 years
- Poverty rate: 10.2%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.3%
- Median household income: $70,427
- Population: 48,344
27. Orange County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.5 years
- Poverty rate: 13.0%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 31.6%
- Median household income: $91,806
- Population: 401,237
26. Livingston County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.0 years
- Poverty rate: 11.7%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 29.5%
- Median household income: $70,443
- Population: 61,980
25. Erie County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.0 years
- Poverty rate: 13.8%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 36.4%
- Median household income: $68,014
- Population: 951,232
24. Madison County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.8 years
- Poverty rate: 9.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.9%
- Median household income: $68,869
- Population: 68,020
23. Ulster County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.7 years
- Poverty rate: 14.7%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 35.6%
- Median household income: $77,197
- Population: 182,153
22. Otsego County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.6 years
- Poverty rate: 13.0%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 33.7%
- Median household income: $65,778
- Population: 59,678
21. Kings County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.7 years
- Poverty rate: 19.0%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 40.4%
- Median household income: $74,692
- Population: 2,679,620
20. Onondaga County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.0 years
- Poverty rate: 13.9%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 36.9%
- Median household income: $71,479
- Population: 472,637
19. Essex County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.7 years
- Poverty rate: 10.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 31.2%
- Median household income: $68,090
- Population: 37,314
18. Schenectady County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.7 years
- Poverty rate: 11.6%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 34.2%
- Median household income: $75,056
- Population: 159,447
17. Rensselaer County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.8 years
- Poverty rate: 11.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 35.4%
- Median household income: $83,734
- Population: 160,943
16. Warren County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.9 years
- Poverty rate: 8.6%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 33.8%
- Median household income: $74,531
- Population: 65,684
15. Richmond County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.8 years
- Poverty rate: 10.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 35.3%
- Median household income: $96,185
- Population: 492,925
14. Monroe County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.3 years
- Poverty rate: 13.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 40.5%
- Median household income: $71,450
- Population: 756,406
13. Queens County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.8 years
- Poverty rate: 11.7%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 34.8%
- Median household income: $82,431
- Population: 2,360,826
12. Columbia County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.4 years
- Poverty rate: 10.3%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 36.4%
- Median household income: $81,741
- Population: 61,469
11. Rockland County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.4 years
- Poverty rate: 15.1%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 42.5%
- Median household income: $106,173
- Population: 337,326
10. Ontario County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.1 years
- Poverty rate: 9.0%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 37.2%
- Median household income: $76,603
- Population: 112,288
9. Albany County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.4 years
- Poverty rate: 12.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 44.4%
- Median household income: $78,829
- Population: 315,041
8. Dutchess County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.1 years
- Poverty rate: 8.6%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 39.0%
- Median household income: $94,578
- Population: 296,467
7. Suffolk County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.1 years
- Poverty rate: 6.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 39.0%
- Median household income: $122,498
- Population: 1,524,486
6. Saratoga County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.4 years
- Poverty rate: 6.6%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 43.4%
- Median household income: $97,038
- Population: 236,328
5. Putnam County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.2 years
- Poverty rate: 6.3%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 42.8%
- Median household income: $120,970
- Population: 97,942
4. Tompkins County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.3 years
- Poverty rate: 16.0%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 57.5%
- Median household income: $69,995
- Population: 102,555
3. Westchester County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.4 years
- Poverty rate: 8.5%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 51.8%
- Median household income: $114,651
- Population: 997,904
2. Nassau County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.0 years
- Poverty rate: 5.4%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 48.2%
- Median household income: $137,709
- Population: 1,389,160
1. New York County
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 83.7 years
- Poverty rate: 15.8%
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 62.8%
- Median household income: $99,880
- Population: 1,645,867
| Rank | County | Avg. life expectancy at birth (yrs.) | Adults with a bachelor’s degree (%) | Poverty rate (%) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, New York | 83.7 | 62.8 | 15.8 | 1,645,867 |
| 2 | Nassau, New York | 82.0 | 48.2 | 5.4 | 1,389,160 |
| 3 | Westchester, New York | 82.4 | 51.8 | 8.5 | 997,904 |
| 4 | Tompkins, New York | 81.3 | 57.5 | 16.0 | 102,555 |
| 5 | Putnam, New York | 82.2 | 42.8 | 6.3 | 97,942 |
| 6 | Saratoga, New York | 81.4 | 43.4 | 6.6 | 236,328 |
| 7 | Suffolk, New York | 80.1 | 39.0 | 6.5 | 1,524,486 |
| 8 | Dutchess, New York | 80.1 | 39.0 | 8.6 | 296,467 |
| 9 | Albany, New York | 79.4 | 44.4 | 12.5 | 315,041 |
| 10 | Ontario, New York | 80.1 | 37.2 | 9.0 | 112,288 |
| 11 | Rockland, New York | 81.4 | 42.5 | 15.1 | 337,326 |
| 12 | Columbia, New York | 80.4 | 36.4 | 10.3 | 61,469 |
| 13 | Queens, New York | 81.8 | 34.8 | 11.7 | 2,360,826 |
| 14 | Monroe, New York | 79.3 | 40.5 | 13.4 | 756,406 |
| 15 | Richmond, New York | 79.8 | 35.3 | 10.4 | 492,925 |
| 16 | Warren, New York | 78.9 | 33.8 | 8.6 | 65,684 |
| 17 | Rensselaer, New York | 78.8 | 35.4 | 11.5 | 160,943 |
| 18 | Schenectady, New York | 78.7 | 34.2 | 11.6 | 159,447 |
| 19 | Essex, New York | 79.7 | 31.2 | 10.4 | 37,314 |
| 20 | Onondaga, New York | 79.0 | 36.9 | 13.9 | 472,637 |
| 21 | Kings, New York | 80.7 | 40.4 | 19.0 | 2,679,620 |
| 22 | Otsego, New York | 79.6 | 33.7 | 13.0 | 59,678 |
| 23 | Ulster, New York | 79.7 | 35.6 | 14.7 | 182,153 |
| 24 | Madison, New York | 80.8 | 26.9 | 9.5 | 68,020 |
| 25 | Erie, New York | 78.0 | 36.4 | 13.8 | 951,232 |
| 26 | Livingston, New York | 80.0 | 29.5 | 11.7 | 61,980 |
| 27 | Orange, New York | 79.5 | 31.6 | 13.0 | 401,237 |
| 28 | Tioga, New York | 79.7 | 26.3 | 10.2 | 48,344 |
| 29 | Greene, New York | 78.7 | 27.6 | 10.4 | 48,067 |
| 30 | Schoharie, New York | 80.0 | 25.0 | 10.1 | 29,970 |
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