Insights » New York cities with highest and lowest 2023 household expenses

2023 Report: Cities in New York where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest

How does living in the Empire state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about New York’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in New York, doxo’s data reveals, pays $2,495 in bills per month.

doxo’s data also has infographics for 245 cities and towns across New York, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in New York and how it changes according to location.

The data sheds light on New York’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.

New York residents pay $2,495 in household bills a month

The average New York household pays $2,495 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.

New York residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 7th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Connecticut ranks 6th, with annual monthly expenses of $2,504, and Washington ranks 8th, at $2,468.

New York’s household expenses, on average, are 21.9% higher than the national average of $2,046.

Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. For example, New York residents spend 38% of their income on bills.

Annually, New York residents pay $219 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in New York by clicking on the infographic link below.

Data: doxo INSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about New York

• Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,495 per month
• State Bill Pay Market Size: $219 billion
• doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 7 out of 50
• Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
• Difference from the National Average: 21.9% higher

Housing bill category drives New York’s high monthly bill expenses

The average New York household pays $2,495 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent and mortgage expenses are both considerably higher than the national average. The average mortgage payment in New York is $2,145, and average rent is $1,507, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191.

Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for New Yorkers. These expenses are equal to the national average. The average auto loan bill in the U.S. as well as in New York is $467 a month.

Compared to the national average, utilities are a notably higher expense for residents of New York. The average household in the state pays $384 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $351.

Health insurance, by contrast, is more affordable in New York. While US residents on average spend $120 per month on car insurance, in New York they spend just $99.

Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.

Average New York Household Bill Spending

Rye tops the list of most expensive cities for New York’s household bills

Residents of Rye pay the highest household bills in the state of New York, at an average of $3,750 per month. Long Island City comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $3,667 on average per month.

In proportion to household income, however, Long Island City’s bills are costlier than ones in Rye. While Long Island City’s monthly bill basket makes up 43% of average household income there, Rye’s bill basket accounts for just 22% of average household income in that area.

Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxo INSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.

10 Most Expensive New York Cities for Household Bills

*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).

Jamestown is the most affordable New York city for household bills

Out of 245 cities and towns, Jamestown is the most affordable place in New York, with residents paying $1,457 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 41% of local income in Jamestown.

Hornell comes in at the second most affordable town or city in New York, with residents paying $1,468 per month on average.

Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in New York are Bath ($1,477 per month), Dunkirk ($1,481 per month), and Ogdensburg ($1,535 per month).

10 Most Affordable New York Cities for Household Bills

Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare New York’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4000 towns and cities across the country.