Queens dominates fastest-growing NYC neighborhoods list
May 2024 - Queens has the most up-and-coming neighborhoods for roommates in NYC, according to new data from the number 1 roommate finder, SpareRoom.
SpareRoom analyzed over 15 million roommate searches over a two year period* to see which neighborhoods saw the biggest growth in roommate searches, as well as which proved most popular. Each neighborhood was given an annual ranking from most searched to least and these were compared to show which areas had increased (or decreased) most in popularity.
Queens Village topped the up and coming list, climbing 21 places in the ranking between 2021 and 2023, closely followed by Sunnyside (+18) and Far Rockaway (+16).
Eight out of the top ten neighborhoods that saw the largest search increases were in Queens, making it the fastest growing borough in NYC for roommates.
NYC neighborhoods with the largest search increases
| Neighborhood | Borough | Ranking change over 2 years (2021 vs 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Queens Village | Queens | +21 |
| 2. Sunnyside | Queens | +18 |
| 3. Far Rockaway | Queens | +16 |
| 4. Woodside | Queens | +10 |
| 5. Bensonhurst | Brooklyn | +9 |
| 6. Jackson Heights | Queens | +7 |
| 7. Bedford-Stuyvesant | Brooklyn | +5 |
| 8. Ridgewood | Queens | +5 |
| 9. Long Island City | Queens | +4 |
| 10. Flushing | Queens | +4 |
Conversely, four of the five neighborhoods where searches decreased most were in Manhattan, with Greenwich Village seeing the biggest decrease, falling 17 places in two years.
NYC neighborhoods with the largest search decreases
| Neighborhood | Borough | Ranking change over 2 years (2021 vs 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Greenwich Village | Manhattan | -17 |
| 2. SoHo | Manhattan | -13 |
| 3. Lower East Side | Manhattan | -13 |
| 4. Hell’s Kitchen | Manhattan | -12 |
| 5. Greenpoint | Brooklyn | -11 |
| 6. Downtown | Manhattan | -9 |
| 7. Midtown | Manhattan | -9 |
| 8. East Village | Manhattan | -7 |
| 9. Financial District | Manhattan | -6 |
| 10. Elmhurst | Queens | -5 |
Astoria retained the top spot as the most searched for neighborhood in NYC, followed by Williamsburg and Harlem. Half of the top ten most searched for neighborhoods were located in Manhattan, despite being the borough with the largest search decreases overall.
The most popular neighborhoods 2023
| Neighborhood | Borough |
|---|---|
| 1. Astoria | Queens |
| 2. Williamsburg | Brooklyn |
| 3. Harlem | Manhattan |
| 4. Bushwick | Brooklyn |
| 5. Upper East Side | Manhattan |
| 6. Long Island City | Queens |
| 7. Upper West Side | Manhattan |
| 8. Jamaica | Queens |
| 9. Washington Heights | Manhattan |
| 10. East Village | Manhattan |
Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom spokesperson comments:
“Rents have hit all-time highs in most major metro areas over the past year, and renters are feeling the financial squeeze, so it’s no wonder people are looking around for cheaper options.
Roommate rents in Queens are, on average, $184 per month cheaper than Brooklyn, and a massive $585 cheaper per month than Manhattan. That can add up to serious money over the course of a year.”
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Notes to editors
*SpareRoom analyzed 15,090,507 roommate searches carried out during the calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023 and ranked them from most searched for to least for 2023. Their 2023 ranking was then compared to their ranking in 2021 to find the 2 year change.↩