New York, NY vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · scores computed September 2026

New York, NY vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria side by side

Metric● New York, NY● Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score3535
Price Momentum75—
Inventory Health—45band 5 of 5
Affordability219
Economic Strength4953
Rental Yield418
Median Sale Price$847K—
Price-to-Income9.64.6
Payment-to-Income58.4%28.8%
Months of Supply5—
Gross Rental Yield2.6%4.2%
Overvaluation Index6020

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually. Inventory Health is ranked within population bands, so places in different bands (or without one) are not compared on it.

How New York, NY and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — New York, NY 2/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 19/100.
  • Economic Strength: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — New York, NY 49/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 53/100.
  • Rental Yield: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — New York, NY 4/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 18/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, New York, NY or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

They're essentially tied, each near 35 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is New York, NY or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria more affordable?

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 9.6 in New York, NY and 4.6 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the New York, NY market brief and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria brief.