Being single in New York City isn’t just emotionally expensive—it’s financially draining too.
A new study has found that renters who live alone are paying a staggering $20,100 more per year than those who split a home with a partner or roommate, making the so-called “singles tax” in NYC nearly three times the national average.
The study by the real estate listing site StreetEasy and its parent company, Zillow, shows that the $40,200 annual rent for people living on their own in New York City is reflective of a 24% increase in rents across the city over the last five years. This includes a 22% jump in the median rent for one-bedroom units, from $2,746 a month ($32,952 a year) to $3,350 a month.
The $20,100 “singles tax,” the additional cost a person pays for their solo occupancy rather than cohabiting with another person, for New Yorkers is nearly three times more than the national average of $7,562.
All five boroughs had a singles tax higher than the national average. Manhattan led the way at $25,200 for an annual total rent of $50,400, followed by Brooklyn at $18,294 for an annual total of $36,588, then Queens at $15,900 for an annual total of $31,800, the Bronx at $15,594 for an annual total of $31,188 and Staten Island at $11,400 for an annual total of $22,800.
The singles taxes for each borough, other than Staten Island, is higher than any other metropolitan area in the United States included in the study. However, Staten Island still has a higher singles tax than several notable metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles ($10,470) and Long Beach ($10,228) in California and Denver ($9,676) in Colorado.
With Valentine’s Day having just passed, this data reflects that one big thing couples who live together in New York City can be happy about is how much they save on rent. As the cost of rent continues to go up in New York City with each passing year, it is much easier for people in one-bedroom units to share the spaces with a romantic partner, family member, friend or acquaintance.
“As anyone on the dating scene in NYC will tell you, it’s not easy to be single here, and the lack of affordable rentals just adds another layer to that struggle,” StreetEasy home trends expert Casey Roberts said in the report. “It’s no secret that New York is an expensive city, whether it’s food, entertainment or housing — and those costs have only gone up, making the dream of living alone even harder to achieve. Over the last five years, we’ve seen rents continue to set and break new records. So whether you’re living with a romantic partner, a friend, or even an acquaintance, it can make a lot of sense for New Yorkers to partner up to make living in the city work.”
