NYC gets crushed in affordability ranking for renters but nearly tops the list for 1 huge perk

New York City may have world-class transit, walkable neighborhoods and endless cultural amenities — but renters are paying dearly for those perks.Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn all landed near the bottom of RentCafe’s 2026 ranking of the 150 best US cities for renters, which analyzed 20 metrics spanning housing and cost of living, the local economy and quality of life.Manhattan ranked No.137 overall, while Queens came in at No.

147 and Brooklyn at No.148 — putting two of the city’s biggest boroughs just a few spots from the bottom.Manhattan’s biggest problem probably won’t surprise anyone who has written a rent check there.The borough ranked dead last at No.

150 for housing and cost of living, with expenses running a whopping 138.9% above the national average.Apartments average 759 square feet.But renters are getting something for all that money.Manhattan ranked No.

3 nationwide for quality of life, with more than half of its apartments located in top-rated areas close to transit, green space and everyday amenities.It also took the No.1 spot nationally for public transit and walking, with 61.1% of residents getting around that way, while ranking No.

25 for school quality.Its economic showing was considerably stronger, too.Manhattan ranked No.

33 for its local economy, with 336 business applications per 10,000 residents and nearly half of residents classified as highly educated.Brooklyn fared even worse overall, ranking No.148, and came in at No.

149 for housing and cost of living.Its cost of living is 63.9% above the national average, while apartments average just 735 square feet.Still, 15.6% of its apartment stock is new, and renter incomes have surged 39.1% over five years — the strongest growth among the three boroughs.Brooklyn also performed considerably better for quality of life, ranking No.

58 nationally.Some 55% of residents use public transit, the second-highest share in the country.Queens finished just one spot ahead at No.

147 overal...