Best Cities for Remote Workers in New York
What Remote Workers Should Know About New York
New York ranks #42 out of 50 for remote workers β a state where remote workers may face some headwinds. Remote work fundamentally changes the relocation calculus: when your salary comes from elsewhere, what matters is how far it stretches locally and how good daily life feels. With a cost-of-living index of 108, New York is above average β remote workers from lower-cost areas won't see a purchasing power advantage.
The moderate work-from-home rate of 11.6% suggests growing but not yet dominant remote work adoption. Broadband coverage is excellent at 94.6%, so reliable internet shouldn't be a concern.
The 13.56% tax burden is above average, which can offset some of the cost-of-living advantages for higher-earning remote professionals. Housing affordability (score: 35/100) is a concern β the median home costs $576,000, which may require a strong remote salary to afford comfortably.
All 20 Cities Ranked for Remote Workers
| # | City | Grade | Remote Workers Score | Overall | Affordability | Economy | Outdoor Access | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Rochelle | A+ | 60.0 | 67.0 | 45 | 79 | 30 | 83,737 |
| 2 | White Plains | A+ | 58.5 | 67.9 | 44 | 76 | 30 | 59,818 |
| 3 | Levittown | A | 55.4 | 62.7 | 39 | 71 | 30 | 51,557 |
| 4 | Tonawanda Town | B+ | 54.0 | 57.0 | 62 | 43 | 30 | 56,973 |
| 5 | Cheektowaga | B | 53.7 | 56.4 | 70 | 47 | 30 | 75,443 |
| 6 | Yonkers | B+ | 52.8 | 58.5 | 52 | 57 | 30 | 207,644 |
| 7 | Irondequoit | B | 52.2 | 53.6 | 62 | 43 | 30 | 50,438 |
| 8 | Hempstead | C+ | 52.0 | 52.3 | 50 | 55 | 30 | 58,569 |
| 9 | West Seneca | B | 51.8 | 56.4 | 62 | 43 | 30 | 45,329 |
| 10 | Mount Vernon | B | 50.7 | 53.5 | 54 | 54 | 30 | 71,168 |
| 11 | Troy | C+ | 48.0 | 52.7 | 68 | 43 | 30 | 51,054 |
| 12 | Schenectady | C | 47.4 | 48.7 | 70 | 41 | 30 | 68,545 |
| 13 | New York | C+ | 46.6 | 52.8 | 43 | 50 | 30 | 8,258,035 |
| 14 | Utica | C | 46.5 | 46.7 | 73 | 40 | 30 | 64,440 |
| 15 | Albany | C | 46.1 | 49.1 | 67 | 48 | 30 | 101,220 |
| 16 | Binghamton | C | 44.4 | 46.9 | 74 | 38 | 30 | 47,357 |
| 17 | Syracuse | D | 43.7 | 44.0 | 72 | 38 | 30 | 145,573 |
| 18 | Buffalo | D | 43.4 | 44.0 | 71 | 36 | 30 | 274,686 |
| 19 | Niagara Falls | D | 43.4 | 42.4 | 67 | 34 | 30 | 48,198 |
| 20 | Rochester | D | 43.3 | 44.5 | 71 | 37 | 30 | 207,264 |