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

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of July 2026

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

Metric New York, NY Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score4025
Price Momentum7450
Inventory Health371
Affordability315
Economic Strength4946
Rental Yield3715
Median Sale Price$806K
Price-to-Income9.24.6
Payment-to-Income54.4%28.8%
Months of Supply5
Gross Rental Yield2.7%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.

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

  • Affordability: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — New York, NY 3/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Price Momentum: New York, NY leads — New York, NY 74/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: New York, NY leads — New York, NY 37/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: New York, NY leads — New York, NY 49/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 46/100.
  • Rental Yield: New York, NY leads — New York, NY 37/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.

Frequently asked questions

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

New York, NY scores higher — 40 vs 25 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 9.2 in New York, NY and 4.6 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, New York, NY or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

New York, NY has stronger price momentum — 74/100 vs 50/100.

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.