2026 editionNortheastPop. 20,002,427Capital Albany11th state, admitted 1788Cook PVI D+15
Is New York a Good Place to Live? New York Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
New York ranks #29 of 50 with a composite score of 54.9 and a C+ grade, strongest in health (#3) and weakest in growth (#48). The median household earns $85,820 (6% above the national median), homes typically cost $526,714 (43% above the national average), and violent crime is 368 per 100,000 (12% above the national average).
The New York deal is a tax burden of 13.56%, second-highest in the country, in exchange for the only state where 24.2% of commuters can skip the car. It fits people whose careers only exist here and whose salary clears the rent; it does not fit anyone hoping upstate bargains will cancel downstate taxes.
New York by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with New York's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the New York overview
New York scores above the national average in 5 of 11 categories and ranks #9 of 11 states in the Northeast, behind 8 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is median household income ($85,820, 6% above the national median); its biggest shortfall is total tax burden (13.56%, 4.8 points above the national average). That mix of top-10 finishes (3) and bottom-10 finishes (3) is why the composite alone undersells the tradeoffs a mover here faces.
Where does New York rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. New York is top 10 in 3 and bottom 10 in 3.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 46.3 | #25 of 50 | B | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 4.3% and median household income is $85,820. |
| Safety | 63.0 | #34 of 50 | C+ | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 368.4 violent crimes and 1,574.8 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 79.7 | #3 of 50 | A+ | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 79.5 years, 29.5% of adults have obesity, and 5% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 56.6 | #30 of 50 | C+ | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 271 in NAEP math and 257 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 86.7%. |
| Affordability | 37.2 | #47 of 50 | D | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $526,714 (6.1x median income); cost of living index 107.9 (100 = US); center-based infant care $20,978 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 44.5 | #42 of 50 | C | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $8,130 of debt per resident, has 90% of pensions funded, and holds a AA credit rating. |
| Growth | 14.0 | #48 of 50 | D | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.01% last year; Census net domestic migration is -6.9 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 52.6 | #20 of 50 | B | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 33.2 minutes, 24.2% of workers use public transit, and 11.8% work from home. |
| Livability | 49.4 | #5 of 50 | A+ | 7% | 34.3 | It has 2.243 restaurants and 0.078 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.166 bars and 0.071 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 30.2 | #23 of 50 | B | 6% | 29.4 | 15.1% of its land is public, with 3.33 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 58.4 | #7 of 50 | A | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 36, 30% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 3.8. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
New York's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; New York bulges toward health and dips at growth.
How expensive is New York?
New York's cost of living index is 107.9 against a national baseline of 100, 8% above the national average and #47 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $526,714 (43% above the national average); buying it takes an income of about $140,709, $54,889 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Utica is cheapest (index 92.7) and Levittown priciest (112.6).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #8 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #46 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $54,889 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full New York housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | New York | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$43,228 | −$11,758 | #45 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$20,271 | +$31,418 | #46 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$22,648 | +$35,970 | #46 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in New York?
New York's tax mix is high across the board. The total state and local tax burden comes to 13.56% of income, 4.8 points above the national average (#49 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 1.64% of home value (#45), and combined sales tax averages 8.54% (#41).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 44.5 out of 100, #42 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is New York safe?
New York reports 368 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 12% above the national average and #35 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,575 per 100,000, 3% above the national average (#31 of 50). The safety score is 63 out of 100, #34 of 50; among tracked cities, White Plains has the lowest violent crime rate.
New York vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in New York
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Plains | 60,666 | 115 | 1,439 |
| Tonawanda Town | 56,806 | 140 | 1,839 |
| New Rochelle | 82,769 | 154 | 1,234 |
| Yonkers | 209,978 | 263 | 878 |
| Troy | 51,033 | 345 | 2,304 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 New York cities we track with 50,000 or more residents. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in New York?
New York's unemployment rate is 4.3%, 0.3 points above the national average and #34 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $85,820, 6% above the national median. Real GDP grew +2.5% in the latest year (#12 of 50) and GDP per capita is $102,027, 59% above the national average. The population is growing 0.01% a year, 0.5 points below the national average. The economy score is 46.3 out of 100, #25 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in New York, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $267,162 | $288,535 | New York-Newark-Jersey City |
| Lawyers | $231,909 | $250,462 | New York-Newark-Jersey City |
| Software Developers | $191,445 | $206,761 | New York-Newark-Jersey City |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $122,114 | $131,883 | New York-Newark-Jersey City |
| General & Operations Managers | $117,051 | $126,415 | New York-Newark-Jersey City |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are New York's schools and healthcare?
New York's education score is 56.6 out of 100, #30 of 50. Eighth graders average 271 in NAEP math (#27 of 50) and 257 in reading (#27 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 86.7%, 1.1 points above the national average (#24 of 50).
Best public school cities we track, by graduation rate
| City | Grad rate | Students / teacher | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levittown | 94.2% | 11.5 | $30,211 |
| West Seneca | 90% | 11.5 | $22,179 |
| White Plains | 89.6% | 11.2 | $33,712 |
NCES Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey, latest release. Cities with at least three schools.
New York is #3 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 79.5 years, 2.6 years above the national average. 29.5% of adults have obesity (#7 of 50) and 5% of residents have no health insurance (#6 of 50). The health score is 79.7 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to New York, and who is leaving?
New York lost a net 71,987 households to other states in the latest IRS release: 192,240 moved in and 264,227 moved out, -3.6 per 1,000 residents (#50 of 50). Arriving households report an average income of $94,202 against $105,983 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net -130.4K people (284.9K in, 415.3K out, ±23.3K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1New Jersey26,793 · $110,796
- 2Florida22,011 · $89,835
- 3California20,595 · $137,456
- 4Pennsylvania14,412 · $75,262
- 5Massachusetts11,027 · $96,387
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1New Jersey43,699 · $116,966
- 2Florida43,187 · $133,218
- 3Pennsylvania20,643 · $70,945
- 4California18,440 · $153,927
- 5Connecticut15,535 · $155,260
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in New York?
By composite score, the best of the 20 New York cities we track are Levittown (74.8), White Plains (70.8), and New Rochelle (67.5). Utica is the cheapest (cost index 92.7), Levittown the richest ($146,068), and Yonkers the fastest growing (+0.5% a year). City ranks are among the 20 New York cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in New York
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | White Plains | 115 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Utica | cost of living index 92.7 |
| Most walkable | Hempstead | walkability 15 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Utica | median AQI 27 (county) |
| Best schools | Levittown | 94.2% graduation rate |
| Richest | Levittown | $146,068 |
Among the 20 New York cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of New York
Five boroughs where the subway replaces the car, rent is the country's highest and a city income tax sits on top of the state's; the salaries exist nowhere else.
Suburban, car-and-LIRR, with some of the highest property tax bills in the country and graduation rates to match; Nassau costs more, Suffolk gives you space.
Metro-North commuter towns from Yonkers north; expensive close to the city, cheaper and more rural past Poughkeepsie, with the Catskills beyond that.
State government payrolls, cheap old housing stock and winters that arrive early; Albany carries the highest violent crime rate among tracked cities.
Lake-effect snow, homes under half the state's typical value, and universities and hospitals as the big employers; slow-growing, but the cheapest housing in the Northeast.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levittown | A+ | 74.8 | 51,904 | $146,068 | — | 112.6 |
| 2 | White Plains | A+ | 70.8 | 60,666 | $110,763 | 115 | 112.6 |
| 3 | New Rochelle | A+ | 67.5 | 82,769 | $109,167 | 154 | 112.6 |
| 4 | Tonawanda Town | A | 65.4 | 56,806 | $77,679 | 140 | 95.8 |
| 5 | West Seneca | A | 63.7 | 45,303 | $79,709 | — | 95.8 |
| 6 | Yonkers | A | 62.9 | 209,978 | $83,549 | 263 | 112.6 |
| 7 | Irondequoit | B+ | 62.0 | 50,657 | $79,162 | — | 97 |
| 8 | Cheektowaga | B+ | 60.9 | 76,056 | $68,613 | — | 95.8 |
| 9 | Troy | B | 58.6 | 51,033 | $58,477 | 345 | 99.6 |
| 10 | Mount Vernon | B | 57.3 | 72,427 | $78,779 | 496 | 112.6 |
| 11 | Hempstead | C+ | 55.3 | 58,801 | $90,420 | — | 112.6 |
| 12 | Albany | C+ | 54.9 | 100,492 | $61,986 | 832 | 99.6 |
| 13 | New York | C+ | 54.8 | 8,483,844 | $80,483 | 660 | 112.6 |
| 14 | Schenectady | C | 51.6 | 68,847 | $58,399 | 705 | 99.6 |
| 15 | Utica | C | 50.7 | 64,217 | $52,484 | 455 | 92.7 |
| 16 | Rochester | C | 50.3 | 208,772 | $47,213 | 572 | 97 |
| 17 | Syracuse | C | 49.8 | 146,384 | $47,819 | 612 | 95.7 |
| 18 | Binghamton | C | 49.3 | 47,151 | $45,578 | 559 | 92.9 |
| 19 | Buffalo | D | 48.8 | 276,854 | $50,041 | 729 | 95.8 |
| 20 | Niagara Falls | D | 47.4 | 47,987 | $49,101 | 478 | 95.8 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 New York cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in New York for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White Plains | 71.6 | 88.0 | 89.1 | 36.7 |
| 2 | Levittown | 70.9 | 92.1 | — | 33.3 |
| 3 | Tonawanda Town | 69.1 | — | 84.6 | 77.8 |
| 4 | New Rochelle | 68.7 | 75.7 | 88.1 | 37.4 |
| 5 | West Seneca | 67.5 | 82.8 | — | 77.0 |
Who is New York best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best New York cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does New York compare with its neighbors?
New York ranks #29. Among its bordering states, Vermont ranks highest (#8) and New Jersey lowest (#28). New Jersey is the most similar on the composite score and Vermont the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | #29 | 54.9 | $85,820 | $526,714 | 107.9 | 368 | 13.56% | |
| Vermont | #8 | 74.0 | $82,730 | $399,053 | 98 | 214 | 11.53% | Compare → |
| Massachusetts | #13 | 70.0 | $104,828 | $661,896 | 105.8 | 303 | 9.57% | Compare → |
| Connecticut | #16 | 66.9 | $96,049 | $450,873 | 103.6 | 110 | 9.9% | Compare → |
| Pennsylvania | #25 | 56.9 | $77,545 | $290,401 | 97.6 | 227 | 8.58% | Compare → |
| New Jersey | #28 | 55.0 | $104,294 | $580,353 | 108.8 | 194 | 10.3% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 New York city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the New York numbers say when read together.
Health is New York's strongest suit
New York is a #29 state overall but #3 of 50 for health, 26 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 79.7 against a national average of 54.4. Livability (#5) is next. Health carries 12% of the composite.
Growth is where New York falls furthest behind
New York ranks #48 of 50 for growth, 19 places below its overall #29, with a score of 14 against a national average of 38.8. At 7% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Median household income is 6% above the national median
New York's median household income is $85,820, 6% above the national median of $80,903, #15 of 50 (1 = highest). The largest gap in the other direction is total tax burden: 13.56%, 4.8 points above the national average. Source: Census Bureau ACS, latest release.
More households leave than arrive
New York ranks #50 of 50 on net household flow per 1,000 residents (-3.6). The households arriving report $11,781 less in average income than those leaving ($94,202 against $105,983), so the state is trading down on income even as the headcount shrinks. New Jersey is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed harder here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $43,228 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#45 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $20,271 surplus; a retiree couple at a $22,648 surplus. Infant childcare runs $20,978 a year, 34% above the national average.
Every bordering state outranks New York
All 5 of New York's bordering states rank above its #29; the closest match on the composite is New Jersey. Median income among them runs from $77,545 in Pennsylvania to $104,828 in Massachusetts; New York is at $85,820.
Frequently asked questions about living in New York
Is New York a good place to live?
New York ranks #29 of 50 with a C+ grade, #9 of 11 in the Northeast. It is top 10 in health, livability, and environment and bottom 10 in fiscal health, affordability, and growth. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 1 of 6 (income) and trails on home prices, cost of living, violent crime, unemployment, and tax burden. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does New York rank among US states?
New York ranks #29 of 50 overall with a composite score of 54.9 (grade C+), and #9 of 11 states in the Northeast. Its best category rank is #3 (health) and its worst #48 (growth). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so C+ means rank 27–34.
Is it expensive to live in New York?
At #47 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), New York is 8% above the national average: its index is 107.9 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $526,714 (43% above the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $140,709 against a median household income of $85,820. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $43,228 shortfall after all costs, #45 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does New York have a state income tax?
Yes. New York's top state income tax rate is 14.78% (#50 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 13.56% of income, 4.8 points above the national average. Property tax is 1.64% of home value and combined sales tax 8.54%.
What is the crime rate in New York?
New York reports 368 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 12% above the national average and #35 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,575 property crimes per 100,000, 3% above the national average (#31). Its safety score is 63 out of 100, #34 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does New York have good schools?
New York is #30 of 50 for education (score 56.6 out of 100). Its public school students average 271 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#27) and 257 in eighth-grade reading (#27), and the high school graduation rate is 86.7%, 1.1 points above the national average (#24). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Levittown has the highest graduation rate at 94.2%.
Why are people leaving New York?
New York lost a net 71,987 households in the latest IRS release: 192,240 moved in and 264,227 moved out, -3.6 per 1,000 residents (#50 of 50). The largest source of arrivals is New Jersey (26,793 households) and the most common destination is New Jersey (43,699). Arriving households report an average income of $94,202 against $105,983 for those leaving, so movers out earn more than movers in. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is New York a red or blue state?
New York is a solidly blue state: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is D+15, meaning it votes about 15 points more Democratic than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
Is New York tax-friendly for retirees?
More than its reputation. Social Security is not taxed, government pensions are exempt, and residents past fifty-nine and a half can exclude a fixed amount of pension income each year. Property tax at 1.64% and sales tax at 8.54% stay high. A retiree couple on $75,000 ends the year at a $22,648 surplus in the typical metro; the same couple in a paid-off Rochester house does better.
What are the downsides of living in New York?
Taxes, commutes and the exodus. The tax burden is 13.56%, 4.8 points above the national average, the mean commute is 33.2 minutes, the longest in the country, and the state loses -71,987 households on net. Upstate adds lake-effect winters and slow job growth; downstate adds rent of $3,615. The consolation is a disaster risk index of 3.8, #4 lowest, so insurance is not the surprise bill it is in Florida.
Do I need a car in New York?
In the city, no. On Long Island and in Westchester you need one for everything except the commute, which the LIRR and Metro-North handle. Upstate, yes, everywhere; Buffalo and Rochester have bus systems, but the metros are built for driving and commutes are short because of it. The statewide 24.2% transit share is a New York City number wearing a state flag.
Why is housing so expensive in New York?
Because downstate never builds enough and the jobs keep coming anyway. The price-to-income ratio is 6.1x, #46 of 50, and typical values rose +5.6% in a year against +1.2% nationally even as households left. Zoning, rent stabilization and the premium on a short commute keep the metro tight; upstate prices are flat because population is. The statewide figure of $526,714 averages two different markets.
Where in New York should I live?
Match the region to the paycheck. City salaries justify Brooklyn, Queens or a Metro-North town like Levittown, the top-scoring tracked city. Families wanting yards and top districts pick Long Island, where Levittown has the highest tracked graduation rate. State workers pick Albany. Anyone remote, or in health care, can live well in Rochester, Buffalo or Syracuse for a fraction of the cost, snow included.
What is the weather like in New York year-round?
Two climates. Downstate has humid summers, mild coastal winters and the occasional nor'easter or tropical-storm remnant. Upstate is continental: real winters, and Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester sit in the lake-effect snow belts off Erie and Ontario, among the snowiest cities anywhere. The FEMA risk index of 3.8 is #4 lowest, so the weather is a nuisance, not a hazard.
All the numbers
Every metric behind New York's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.