What County Is Manhattan In? Guide to NYC Counties

In most of America, a single county contains multiple cities and towns. But the city of New York is made up of five counties. So what county is Manhattan in? Unsurprisingly, that would be New York County. In fact, each of New York City’s five boroughs corresponds to its own county:

Manhattan = New York County
Brooklyn = Kings County
Queens = Queens County
Staten Island = Richmond County
The Bronx = Bronx County

While there is a centralized government for NYC, each of the boroughs has a certain amount of autonomy. Each also has representation in the city government. They’re recognized as their own counties primarily for judicial/legal reasons. For a deep dive into the geographical history, let’s get to know how each county came to be.

What County Is Manhattan In?
What County Is Brooklyn In?
What County Is Queens In?
What County Is Staten Island In?
What County Is the Bronx In?

What County Is Manhattan In?

When people think of New York City, they typically think of Manhattan. It was the city’s first borough and county. The 23-square-mile island was originally given the name “Mannahatta” (meaning “island of many hills”) by the indigenous Lenapes. It was renamed “Nieuw Amsterdam” by the Dutch and then “New York” by the British.

Manhattan quickly became the nation’s center of economic and political power. It was even the first capital of the United States. But in the late 19th century, Chicago began outpacing Manhattan. To stay competitive, Manhattan decided to expand. It incorporated its surrounding counties into the larger municipality of New York City, with itself as New York County. That’s why the answer to “What county is Manhattan in?” isn’t simply “Manhattan.”

The expansion was a smart move. Manhattan has a current population of 1.6 million, which nearly doubles from the influx of daily commuters. It also serves as the center of the US publishing, financial, and theater industries, among others. And it attracts millions of tourists annually — 66.6 million in 2019.

As you’d expect, this is a desirable place to live if you want to be in the center of everything. But it isn’t cheap. According to the StreetEasy Data Dashboard, as of August 2021, the median asking price for a home in Manhattan is $1.4 million. And the median asking rent is $3,100 per month.

Central Harlem

2268 Adam C Powell Boulevard

$2,742 base rent

2 |

Inwood

29 Cooper Street

$2,950 base rent

1 |

Inwood

29 Cooper Street

$2,950 base rent

1 |

Inwood

11 Cooper Street

$2,900 base rent

1 |

Hudson Heights

350 Ft Washington Avenue

$2,400 base rent

1 |

Central Harlem

28 Macombs Place

$2,400 base rent

1 |

Central Harlem

2186 Fifth Avenue

$2,885 base rent

1 |

South Harlem

454 Manhattan Avenue

$2,898 base rent

Studio |

South Harlem

2216 Frederick Douglass Boulevard

$2,794 base rent

Studio |

East Harlem

206 East 119th Street

$2,995 base rent

1 |

Yorkville

408 East 83rd Street

$2,756 base rent

Studio |

Murray Hill

309 East 37th Street

$2,850 base rent

Studio |

Central Harlem

130 Bradhurst Avenue

$795,000

3 |

Lincoln Square

235 West 70th Street

$750,000

1 |

Lenox Hill

330 East 75th Street

$850,000

1 |

Murray Hill

7 Park Avenue

$600,000

1 |

Flatiron

50 Lexington Avenue

$665,000

1 |

Lincoln Square

1 Central Park West

$690,000

2 |

Battery Park City

20 River Terrace

$975,000

1 |

South Harlem

1330 Fifth Avenue

$925,000

2 |

Beekman

1 Beekman Place

$625,000

1 |

South Harlem

1330 Fifth Avenue

$699,000

1 |

Upper West Side

215 West 91st Street

$875,000

1 |

West Village

85 Barrow Street

$795,000

1 |

What County Is Brooklyn In?

In its early history, Brooklyn was just one of many small villages settled by the Dutch. They called it “Breukelen” after a town in the Netherlands that is likewise situated along a river. When the British took over, they Anglicized the name to “Brooklyn” and consolidated the surrounding villages into Kings County, after King Charles II.

The introduction of ferry service in 1814 allowed Manhattan workers to live in the more affordable Brooklyn and commute. This led to a population boom in Kings County, helping Brooklyn to become the third-largest city in the country by the mid-19th century. The completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 made commuting even easier. So when Manhattan first came courting, Brooklyn was not overly enthusiastic about being incorporated. It eventually joined New York City in 1898.

Today, Brooklyn is the most populous of NYC’s boroughs with 2.59 million residents spread across 69.4 square miles. The median asking rent here is $2,650 as of August 2021, while the median asking sale price is $925,000.

Brooklyn Heights

111 Hicks Street

$2,000 base rent

1 |

Brownsville

56 Rockaway Parkway

$1,810 base rent

1 |

Brighton Beach

3126 Coney Island Avenue

$2,450 base rent

2 |

Gravesend

8629 Bay Parkway

$2,450 base rent

1 |

Bay Ridge

254 73rd Street

$1,899 base rent

1 |

Homecrest

2566 Ocean Avenue

$2,100 base rent

1 |

Flatbush

1286 New York Avenue

$2,599 base rent

1 |

Flatbush

2363 Bedford Avenue

$2,513 base rent

1 |

Flatbush

2363 Bedford Avenue

$2,513 base rent

1 |

Flatbush

156 Clarkson Avenue

$2,288 base rent

Studio |

Flatbush

2363 Bedford Avenue

$2,467 base rent

Studio |

Prospect Park South

60 Turner Place

$2,545 base rent

1 |

Brighton Beach

286 Corbin Place

$599,000

2 |

Crown Heights

960 Sterling Place

$825,000

2 |

Gravesend

2475 West 16th Street

$369,000

2 |

Farragut

5401 Clarendon Road

$860,000

3 |

2.5

Clinton Hill

153 Clinton Avenue

$635,000

1 |

Flatbush

2835 Bedford Avenue

$350,000

1 |

Flatbush

323 Lenox Road

$585,000

1 |

Sheepshead Bay

2517 Voorhies Avenue

$565,000

2 |

Fort Hamilton

9040 Fort Hamiltn Parkway

$369,999

1 |

Fort Hamilton

9040 Fort Hamiltn Parkway

$365,000

1 |

Greenpoint

17 Diamond Street

$825,000

1 |

Stuyvesant Heights

194 Bainbridge Street

$895,000

1 |

What County Is Queens In?

Just as Kings County was named after King Charles II, Queens County was named after his wife, Queen Catherine. But unlike other boroughs, Queens addresses can be tricky. For example, Queens residents typically list their neighborhood on mailing addresses rather than their borough or county name. (So “Astoria, NY,” as opposed to “Queens, NY.” There are multiple theories on how this came to be.

Another quirk is the hyphen in Queens street addresses. (For example, 79-01 35th Avenue.) Here’s an easy decoder: The first number is the nearest cross street. In this case, it’s 79th Street. The second number is how far up the block the building is from that cross street. The “01” in this example indicates that it’s the first building, and likely on the corner. With all that info right in the address itself, it’s virtually impossible to get lost!

That’s a good thing, since Queens is a sprawling 178 square miles — the largest borough by far. It’s home to 2.29 million residents, with a median asking price of $599,999 as of August 2021. The median asking rent is $2,250.

Ditmars-Steinway

20-62 26th Street

$1,900 base rent

Studio |

Ditmars-Steinway

19-19 21 Road

$2,200 base rent

1 |

East Flushing

140-18 Ash Avenue

$1,900 base rent

Studio |

East Flushing

170-20 Lithonia Avenue

$1,850 base rent

Studio |

Forest Hills

111-23 76 Road

$2,295 base rent

Studio |

Woodhaven

86-22 98th Street

$1,500 base rent

Studio |

Middle Village

85-19 60 Drive

$2,300 base rent

1 |

North Corona

37-68 97th Street

$1,875 base rent

Studio |

Murray Hill (Queens)

41-08 159th Street

$2,150 base rent

1 |

Middle Village

84-05 63rd Avenue

$2,400 base rent

2 |

Forest Hills

100-10 67 Road

$2,100 base rent

1 |

Astoria

24-40 38th Street

$2,400 base rent

1 |

Ditmars-Steinway

21-58 35th Street

$275,000

2 |

Jackson Heights

34-41 78th Street

$350,000

1 |

Jackson Heights

37-20 83rd Street

$298,000

1 |

Kew Gardens Hills

68-14 136th Street

$429,000

3 |

Forest Hills

78-14 Austin Street

$398,000

2 |

Sunnyside

50-21 39 Place

$335,000

1 |

Forest Hills

107-40 Queens Boulevard

$538,000

2 |

Astoria

31-85 Crescent Street

$699,000

2 |

Astoria

35-55 29th Street

$425,000

1 |

Sunnyside

48-23 42nd Street

$325,000

1 |

Woodside

63-11 Queens Boulevard

$445,000

2 |

Kew Gardens Hills

67-28 152nd Street

$425,000

2 |

What County Is Staten Island In?

The Dutch called it “Staaten Eylandt,” but the British renamed it “Richmond” after the Duke of Richmond. Because of the continued usage of “Staten Island,” however, the borough was renamed that in 1977. It retains “Richmond” as the borough’s county name.

Fun fact: This 59-square-mile island was the object of a tug of war between New Jersey and New York for nearly 200 years! Each state disputed the other’s jurisdiction over Staten Island’s surrounding waters until the borders were finally settled in 1833. By the late 19th century, the quiet fishing and farming community was in need of substantial infrastructure investments. Thus, residents agreed to consolidate with NYC in 1898 by a margin of 5 to 1.

But that’s not the end of the story. Over the years, the scrappy island with a population of nearly 475,000 often changed its mind. It has tried to secede from NYC multiple times, very nearly succeeding in 1993. The latest attempt was in 2019, but that also came to naught.

Staten Island is extremely affordable compared to other boroughs. The median asking rent here as of August 2021 is $1,950. The median asking sale price is $659,000.

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$4,934 base rent

2 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$4,846 base rent

2 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$4,602 base rent

2 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$5,723 base rent

2 |

Shore Acres

6 New Lane

$1,500 base rent

1 |

Tottenville

203 Main Street

$2,500 base rent

2 |

Saint George

47 Crescent Avenue

$2,105 base rent

2 |

South Beach

16 Palisade Street

$1,475 base rent

Studio |

Tottenville

203 Main Street

$1,950 base rent

1 |

South Beach

16 Palisade Street

$1,775 base rent

1 |

Saint George

30 Daniel Low Terrace

$2,000 base rent

1 |

Saint George

5 Bay Street

$4,754 base rent

2 |

Lighthouse Hill

78 Eleanor Street

$1,999,000

4 |

3.5

Annadale

171 Sheldon Avenue

$1,397,000

5 |

3.5

Arden Heights

65 Oak Lane

$1,399,000

8 |

South Beach

11 Austin Avenue

$899,000

3 |

Saint George

155 Bay Street

$438,000

1 |

Annadale

30 Tenafly Place

$1,100,000

3 |

4.5

Saint George

50 Fort Place

$299,000

1 |

Great Kills

380 Elverton Avenue

$1,098,000

4 |

2.5

Rossville

18 Arrowood Court

$615,000

2 |

1.5

Arlington

243B Pond Way

$400,000

3 |

Saint George

10 Bay Street Landing

$379,000

1 |

Rosebank

28 Smith Street

$650,000

2 |

What County Is the Bronx In?

Despite a dense population of 1.4 million, the Bronx manages to squeeze in some of the city’s largest swaths of green space. Its 57 square miles contain the New York Botanical Garden and Van Cortlandt Park. It’s also home to iconic destinations like Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo.

The last of the boroughs to join NYC, the Bronx is also the only one that’s not part of an island. It’s named for Jonas Bronck, who established a Dutch settlement in 1639 and amassed a whopping 500 acres. No wonder early residents referred to the area as “Bronck’s Land,” which eventually morphed into “the Bronx.”

But unlike the other boroughs, the Bronx didn’t start out as its own county. NYC began annexing parcels of Westchester County in 1874. By 1898, the boundaries of the Bronx were taking shape. But it was still considered part of New York County until 1912, when it was established on its own as Bronx County.

The first subway connecting Manhattan to the Bronx opened in 1904. Subsequent subway lines allowed for an influx of new residents eager to commute to Manhattan from a more affordable area. The median rent in the Bronx is $2,075 as of August 2021. And the median asking sale price is $479,000, the lowest of all five boroughs.