Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New York instead of Alabama, you would:
Health
live 4.5 years longer
In Alabama, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020. In New York, that number is 78 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020.
be 24.5% less likely to be obese
In Alabama, 39.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In New York, that number is 29.9% of people as of 2022.
be 21.1% less likely to have diabetes
In Alabama, 12.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In New York, that number is 10.1% as of 2022.
Economy
make 86.9% more money
Alabama has a GDP per capita of $49,225 as of 2024, while in New York, the GDP per capita is $91,992 as of 2024.
be 10.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Alabama, 14.8% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In New York, however, that number is 13.3% as of 2023.
be 91.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Alabama, 2.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In New York, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
Housing & Income
earn 36.4% more money
The median household income in Alabama is $62,027 as of 2023, while in New York, it is $84,578 as of 2023.
pay 2.1 times more for a home
The median home value in Alabama is $195,100 as of 2023, compared to $403,000 in New York as of 2023.
pay 63.7% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alabama is $963 as of 2023, while in New York, it is $1,576 as of 2023.
be 22.3% less likely to own your home
In Alabama, 69.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In New York, that number is 54.3% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 44.4% less likely to be uninsured
In Alabama, 9.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In New York, that number is 5.0% as of 2023.
be 24.7% less likely to smoke
In Alabama, 17.0% of adults smoke as of 2022. In New York, that number is 12.8% as of 2022.
be 10.0% less likely to be physically inactive
In Alabama, 27.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In New York, that number is 25.1% as of 2022.
be 50.5% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Alabama, 18.4% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In New York, that number is 27.7% as of 2023.
be 4.1 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alabama, 2.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In New York, that number is 9.1% as of 2023.
be 21.5% less likely to be food insecure
In Alabama, 14.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In New York, that number is 11.3% as of 2021.
commute 7.4 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Alabama takes 25.4 minutes as of 2023. In New York, it takes 32.8 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 4.1 times more densely populated
Alabama has a population density of 38.9 people per sq km as of 2023. In New York, that number is 161.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.
