$250,000 in New York

Household income percentile, occupation comparison, and lifestyle context for New York.

New York percentile
90th
National percentile
91th
New York median
$84,578
National median
$80,610
$250,000 is +196% of the New York median and +210% of the national median.

Occupations near $250,000 (single earner)

BLS national median wages within ±15% of $250,000 — gives texture for which careers and seniorities land at this income level.

OccupationStageNational wage
Surgeonentry-level$250,000
Anesthesiologistentry-level$248,000
Lawyersenior$240,000
Financial managersenior$240,000
Marketing managersenior$240,000
Dentistsenior$235,000

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. National medians; metro/state variance can be ±30%. Career stage estimates: entry ≈ 25th pct, senior ≈ 75th pct of the same SOC code.

Single earner vs two-earner household

Single earner at $250,000
90th pct

One earner pulling $250,000 typically means a surgeon or comparable role. Above-median earner status in New York.

Two earners (split evenly)
$125,000 each (69th)

Two earners at $125,000 each combined = $250,000. Each individual is below median individually, but the household lands at the same percentile as a single $250,000 earner.

Lifestyle context — rent burden in New York

Median rent (state)
$1,666 / mo
% of gross
8%
HUD threshold
30%

At $250,000 gross, statewide median rent eats 8% of income — inside the affordable band. Metro areas (LA, SF, NYC, Boston, Seattle) typically run 30-50% above the statewide median.

Home affordability at $250,000

Using the 28% rule on a 30-year mortgage, $250,000 gross supports a home purchase up to about $674,532. New York median home value is $412,800 you can afford 163% of the median home, so buying statewide is realistic.

How $250,000 ranks in neighboring states

State-adjusted percentile shows the same income placed in New York's contiguous neighbors. Relevant for relocation, remote-work geography, or border-town decisions.

StateMedian HH% vs medianPercentile
New York (current)$84,578+196%90th
Pennsylvania$76,081+229%92th
Vermont$81,211+208%91th
Connecticut$93,760+167%87th
Massachusetts$99,858+150%85th
New Jersey$101,050+147%85th

$250,000 ranks similarly in

Other incomes in New York

Common questions

Is $250,000 a good household income in New York?
It's at roughly the 90th percentile for New York after adjusting for the state's median income ($84,578). Nationally that's about the 91th percentile. Whether "good" depends on household size, debt, and metro cost of living — Census medians smooth over big within-state variation.
How does $250,000 compare to the New York median?
It's 196% above the New York median household income of $84,578 (Census ACS 2023, table B19013). Half of New York households earn less than $84,578, half earn more.
Why does this number differ from other percentile calculators?
Two sources of variation: (1) some calculators use individual income, not household — household income is typically higher because it combines earners. (2) Some use single-year ACS, others use 5-year averages. We use ACS 2023 1-year B19080 for the national distribution and adjust by state median ratio.

Full data sources and formulas: /sources.

Method: state percentile = percentile of (income ÷ (state median ÷ national median)). Cost-of-living-adjusted estimate. Source: Census ACS 2023, B19080 (national distribution), B19013 (state medians), B25064 (rent), B25077 (home value). Occupations: BLS OEWS May 2024. National calculator → Full methodology →