Recent college graduates looking for affordable housing are more likely to find it in Astoria, a report by StreetEasy found.
The report and interactive map, released on June 22, estimated the expected starting salary of recent college graduates based on their major and what constitutes affordable rent. For the basis of the report, affordable rent meant paying 30 percent or less of one’s total income.
The map asks college graduates to enter their major, how much income they’re willing to spend on an apartment and how many roommates they want. Users can then analyze how many affordable units each neighborhood contains based on this information.
In terms of borough, Queens had the third-highest median asking rent after Manhattan and Brooklyn. For a one-bedroom apartment, the median asking rent is $1,800. A two-bedroom apartment would set residents back $2,275 and a three-bedroom apartment is expected to cost $2,750.
Astoria consistently had the biggest share of affordable housing options regardless of major, how much income recent grads are willing to spend on rent and how many roommates they have.
Students who majored in engineering, math, business and medical and health sciences and services had some of the highest expected starting salaries, while philosophy and religious studies majors were expected to make the least with an expected starting salary of $27,530.
According to the report, in 2015 rent for a studio or one-bedroom apartment was at least 23 percent cheaper in outer boroughs than it was in Manhattan.
Other Queens neighborhoods with a large share of affordable apartments depending on major and how much income a tenant is willing to spend on rent include Long Island City, Forest Hills, Woodside, Sunnyside and Jackson Heights.
A study by the NYU Furman Center last month found that Astoria is one of the most gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City, partly because many college students were moving in. Rapid changes in housing cost and affordability contributed to its inclusion on the list.
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