Best Counties in New York — 2026 Rankings
62 of 62 counties scored across 12 dimensions
62
62 scored
47/100
composite score
63/100
34.1—63
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in New York
New York Trails the National Livability Median
New York earns an average composite score of 47.0, placing it slightly below the national median of 50.0 across all 62 counties. While the state offers high-earning potential, its overall ranking reflects a struggle to balance high costs with resident quality of life.
Exceptional Health Outcomes and Strong Income Potential
The state excels in health with a score of 81.3 and maintains a high income score of 68.5. These metrics suggest that while the state is expensive, residents benefit from superior medical access and wages that significantly outpace national averages.
Tax Burdens and Living Costs Create Hurdles
High taxes and affordability issues drag down the state's average, evidenced by a tax score of 7.5 and a cost score of 27.6. Furthermore, a risk score of 30.6 indicates that New York faces higher environmental or structural vulnerabilities compared to many other states.
Hamilton and Lewis Counties Lead the Way
Hamilton County tops the state with a 63.0 composite score, benefiting from a tax score of 39.8 that is much higher than the state average. Lewis (59.4) and Allegany (59.1) follow as top performers, offering better affordability than the state's struggling urban centers.
A Premium Choice for High-Income Professionals
New York is best suited for high-earning professionals and families who prioritize world-class healthcare and economic opportunity over tax savings. While the state-wide average is below the national median, specific rural counties provide a more balanced profile for those seeking livability.
All County Rankings in New York
Search, sort, and filter all 62 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 62 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton County | 63 | 39.8 | 51.5 | 64.1 | 92.4 | 69.8 | 62.8 | 84.9 | 6.7 | 51.7 | 67.4 | 45.5 | |
| 2 | Lewis County | 59.5 | 7.1 | 49.8 | 62.5 | 83.5 | 85.5 | 71.9 | 75.3 | 14.4 | 51.6 | 68.6 | 54 | |
| 3 | Allegany County | 59.1 | 0.1 | 67 | 42.8 | 83.7 | 80.2 | 70.8 | 30.3 | 43.1 | 54.7 | 65.9 | 61.8 | |
| 4 | Essex County | 59.1 | 10.5 | 36.2 | 67 | 89.2 | 86.2 | 80.5 | 37.4 | 34.9 | 50.5 | 65.7 | 56.3 | |
| 5 | Wyoming County | 58.6 | 1.3 | 54.1 | 64.1 | 78.5 | 85 | 72.3 | 58.8 | 36.8 | 55.2 | 61.9 | 65.2 | |
| 6 | Schuyler County | 58.2 | 3.8 | 42 | 56.3 | 88.8 | 72.3 | 80.5 | 83.8 | 24.6 | 55.1 | 65.3 | 74.1 | |
| 7 | New York County | 56.5 | 45 | 0.6 | 96.4 | 94.9 | 92.1 | 54.3 | 1.2 | N/A | 70.2 | 23.5 | 49.8 | |
| 8 | Kings County | 55.2 | 64.4 | 2 | 82.2 | 94.9 | 79.9 | 41.4 | 0.7 | N/A | 71.3 | 31 | 54 | |
| 9 | Putnam County | 55.2 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 99.1 | 86.9 | 97.2 | 89.3 | 60.2 | 4.3 | 60.8 | 52.8 | 52.8 | |
| 10 | Otsego County | 53.8 | 8.2 | 33.6 | 59.2 | 86.7 | 86 | 58.8 | 24.2 | 41.2 | 53.6 | 62 | 65.2 | |
| 11 | Schoharie County | 53.8 | 1.9 | 35.7 | 69.2 | 81.7 | 81.4 | 67.6 | 58.7 | 8.8 | 53 | 65.6 | 69.4 | |
| 12 | Tioga County | 53.8 | 1 | 34.6 | 71 | 76 | 91.9 | 63.2 | 40.2 | 50.3 | 52 | 62.8 | 73 | |
| 13 | Franklin County | 53.1 | 4.4 | 53.6 | 50.1 | 74.4 | 71.3 | 64 | 51.2 | 14.3 | 50.8 | 66.5 | 58.2 | |
| 14 | Clinton County | 51.9 | 3.4 | 32 | 64.8 | 81 | 78.7 | 63 | 31.2 | 48.1 | 53.5 | 66.5 | 62.4 | |
| 15 | Greene County | 51.9 | 8.2 | 22.5 | 75.5 | 83.9 | 84.4 | 63.6 | 31.7 | 19.1 | 53.1 | 60.7 | 55 | |
| 16 | Orleans County | 51.8 | 0.1 | 35.4 | 50.4 | 55.4 | 80.6 | 76.5 | 82.2 | 86 | 57.2 | 66.9 | 66.5 | |
| 17 | Livingston County | 51.4 | 0.9 | 32.6 | 72.3 | 62 | 89.4 | 71.7 | 43.7 | 38.5 | 55.9 | 71.5 | 62.9 | |
| 18 | St. Lawrence County | 51.3 | 1.5 | 54 | 44.9 | 65.8 | 72.6 | 63.4 | 22.1 | 68.6 | 51.5 | 70 | 62.7 | |
| 19 | Steuben County | 51.3 | 0.6 | 41.8 | 53.2 | 75.6 | 80.5 | 64.5 | 23.1 | 28 | 50.9 | 64.2 | 59.4 | |
| 20 | Yates County | 51.3 | 3.9 | 46.8 | 60.3 | 73.3 | 62.2 | 63.6 | 53.4 | 34.1 | 56.2 | 71.7 | 61.7 | |
| 21 | Saratoga County | 50.6 | 13.1 | 9.1 | 95.2 | 59.6 | 97.6 | 78 | 27 | 33.2 | 56.2 | 61.8 | 60 | |
| 22 | Delaware County | 50.2 | 6.4 | 44 | 39.7 | 75.9 | 78.1 | 55.5 | 16.7 | 30.9 | 54.5 | 55.6 | 63.9 | |
| 23 | Washington County | 50.2 | 2.6 | 25.4 | 72 | 81.9 | 80.2 | 59.9 | 43.4 | 17.2 | 51.1 | 57.9 | 69.1 | |
| 24 | Wayne County | 49.6 | 0.4 | 29.6 | 75.3 | 59.5 | 84.6 | 71.7 | 43.7 | 40.5 | 52.6 | 62.5 | 60.2 | |
| 25 | Columbia County | 49 | 10.8 | 14 | 87.5 | 65.9 | 89.3 | 66.6 | 31.3 | 24 | 54.4 | 55.7 | 70.4 |
Hamilton County
Lewis County
Allegany County
Essex County
Wyoming County
Schuyler County
New York County
Kings County
Putnam County
Otsego County
Schoharie County
Tioga County
Franklin County
Clinton County
Greene County
Orleans County
Livingston County
St. Lawrence County
Steuben County
Yates County
Saratoga County
Delaware County
Washington County
Wayne County
Columbia County
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in New York
Common questions about county rankings and scores in New York.
What is the best county in New York?
Hamilton County is the top-ranked county in New York with a CountyScore of 63/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets.
How many counties are ranked in New York?
New York has 62 counties in total. Of those, 62 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to eight data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, and Water Quality. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever dimensions have data. Currently available dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in New York?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in New York is 47/100. The national average is 50/100, so New York counties score 3 points below the national average.
How does New York compare to other states?
New York's average county score of 47/100 is 3 points below the national average of 50/100. You can compare New York counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in New York.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.