Across NYC, the average homeowner tenure among New Yorkers who sold in 2025 stood just below 11 years. However, there were natural discrepancies between boroughs, largely determined by a mix of factors like property types, prices and general economic conditions.
Key Takeaways:
- Citywide, New Yorkers own their homes for an average of 10.9 years before selling, though tenure varies widely by borough and neighborhood.
- The Bronx (12.9 years) and Queens (12.7 years) lead the city in long-term homeownership, largely driven by single family markets and working-class households.
- Neponsit in Queens posts the longest tenure in NYC at 20.5 years, while Two Bridges in Manhattan records the shortest at just 4.1 years.
- Nine of the 10 neighborhoods with the lowest tenure are in Staten Island, where higher mobility and a fluid single family market shorten ownership spans.
- Property type plays a major role: houses see the longest tenure (12.9 years), while co-ops show the shortest (9.1 years) across the city.
- Mid-priced homes between $500K and $1M record the longest holding periods (11.4 years), while luxury properties over $3M turn over fastest, averaging just 9.9 years.
Long known as a renters’ city — with only about 1.1 million residents (roughly a third of the total) owning their homes, compared to more than 65% nationwide — NYC paints a complex story around homeowner tenure. Defined as the average number of years people own their homes before selling, the duration of ownership has become an increasingly important indicator of neighborhood stability, market pressure and who can afford to move in today’s Big Apple.
In recent years, the so-called lock-in effect has significantly shaped owner tenures across the five boroughs, as many New Yorkers bought their homes during years of historically low mortgage rates. Now, with borrowing costs far higher, many of them are reluctant to trade a 3% mortgage for one twice as expensive. These golden handcuffs have encouraged homeowners to stay put longer than they otherwise might have, not purely out of preference, but because moving has become financially unrealistic.
Still, how long New Yorkers typically owned their homes before selling in 2025 varied across the city and was shaped not just by mortgage rates, but by borough, housing type, price and square footage. In this report, we also break down which neighborhoods saw the deepest roots and which ones turned over the fastest.
Note that the data used for this study is based on property sales recorded in 2025 with a previous sale date; therefore, the tenure reflects the time between two sales and does not necessarily represent the occupancy of those properties — only the ownership.
Tenure by Borough
The Bronx and Queens: Where New Yorkers Own a Home the Longest
Across the five boroughs, the average homeowner tenure among New Yorkers who sold in 2025 stood just below 11 years — at 10.9 years on average, to be precise. However, there were natural discrepancies between boroughs, largely determined by a mix of factors like property types, homeowners’ income and general economic conditions.
Homeowners in the Bronx held on to their properties the longest, with an average tenure of 12.9 years, and neighborhoods like Morris Park reaching as high as 16.5 years on average. Closely following the Bronx, Queens residents who sold their homes in 2025 owned them for about 12.7 years, with Neponsit surpassing averages of 20 years. In both boroughs, the numbers mirror real-world economics: lower incomes, especially in the Bronx (lowest in NYC at only $46,000 per year), coincide with longer tenures — a clear sign of the lock-in effect.
Brooklyn (10.9 years) and Manhattan (10.5 years) also saw residents owning for over a decade on average, while Staten Island recorded the shortest tenure, of just 6.5 years. Behind only Manhattan in terms of median income (almost $98,000 per year), Staten Island reflects how higher household incomes and a more fluid single family market make it easier for residents to move according to personal needs.
Homes owned for four, seven and eight years made up the largest share of NYC transactions in 2025, as each accounted for over 6% of residential sales, highlighting a strong cluster of mid-term owners deciding to sell. Conversely, properties held for more than 23 years account for the smallest share of sales (under 1%), suggesting that long-time owners are the least likely to put their homes on the market in the current environment.
Tenure by Property Type
Homeowner Tenure by Property Type: Houses Lead, Co-ops Post Shortest Tenure
On average, New Yorkers held onto houses the longest, with an average tenure of 12.9 years, followed by condo owners at 10.6 years. Meanwhile, co-ops recorded the shortest average tenure, at 9.1 years, as this type of property tends to have a distinct set of pros and cons.
Specifically, Queens and Brooklyn both reported average house tenures above 15 years, while the Bronx closely followed at 14.8 years. In contrast, Staten Island, despite being one of two boroughs most associated with single family homes — along with Queens — had the lowest tenure overall at 6.5 years, reflecting increased turnover among its relatively higher-income owners.
Condos showed a more mixed pattern, aligning with markets that blend primary residences and investment properties. Condos in the Bronx (14.8 years) and Manhattan (11.5 years) posted some of the longest owner tenures, while Brooklyn’s 8.7-year average reflects the borough’s faster-paced ownership landscape. Staten Island had the shortest tenure in condos of only 6.6 years on average, although this number might be skewed by the lower number of condo sales in the borough.
Co-ops had the shortest holding periods across the city, averaging 9.3 years in Manhattan and slightly less in other boroughs. Although co-ops have long been associated with stable, long-term residency, their stricter ownership rules and resale processes appear to contribute to shorter recorded tenure in today’s market. It’s also important to note that, despite the number of co-ops in NYC’s housing stock being higher than the number of houses or condos, fewer of them are actually changing hands.
Tenure by Price
Homeowner Tenure by Price Bracket: Mid-Range Properties Lead in Long-Term Ownership
Aside from location and property type, homeownership tenure in NYC also varies by price range. Overall, the citywide average tenure for properties that changed hands in 2025 stood at 10.9 years, but patterns differ significantly across price tiers.
Ranging between $500,000 and $1 million, mid-priced homes had the longest average tenure at 11.4 years, and made up the largest share of sales (45%). This suggests that buyers in this range are more likely to be long-term owners and/or primary residents, often purchasing for stability rather than investment.
By contrast, properties valued above $3 million showed the shortest tenure, averaging 9.9 years, a reflection of Manhattan’s luxury market where high-income owners and investors tend to trade properties more frequently. Homes priced between $1 million and $3 million had an average tenure of 10.9 years, aligning closely with the citywide benchmark.
Meanwhile, homes under $500,000 remained under the same ownership for an average of 10.4-years, indicating somewhat higher turnover, likely tied to entry-level ownership, flipping and investment activities.
Overall, the data shows a clear correlation between price and tenure: mid-range homes post the longest holding periods because the owners who manage to secure them — often middle-income buyers who either moved up from a starter home or bought before their neighborhoods became more expensive — are now far more constrained by today’s prices. With the cost of even basic starter homes climbing out of reach in major metros, these households hold tightly onto the properties they already have, along with their lower mortgage rates.
Tenure by Size
Homeowner Tenure by Size: Mid-Sized Properties Show the Longest Holding Periods in NYC
When examined by property size, the data shows that homeowners in mid-sized homes tend to own the longest. The owner tenure for homes in the 1,000 to 2,000 square foot averaged at 12 years, surpassing the city-wide benchmark, as New Yorkers tend to hold on to them the longest among all size categories.
Across the board, homes under 1,000 square feet, those between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet, and even the largest properties over 3,000 square feet all hover around an 11-year tenure. The reasons, however, differ by size: smaller units tend to turn over as singles, couples or first-time buyers move on to accommodate changing needs, while larger, high-end homes often change hands more quickly due to investment activity or shifting household circumstances.
Meanwhile, properties without recorded square footage — often co-ops or older buildings where size data isn’t consistently available — had the shortest tenure at 8.8 years, highlighting the more dynamic ownership patterns typical of these housing types.
Neighborhoods Breakdown
NYC’s Neighborhood Divide: From Neponsit’s Staying Power to Grasmere’s Turnover
When pointing the magnifying glass at NYC’s neighborhoods, it becomes even more clear why Queens’ communities attract the longest homeowner tenures, while Staten Island’s neighborhoods have the highest turnover rates.
Specifically, eight of the top 10 neighborhoods with the longest homeowner tenure are unsurprisingly located in Queens, led by Neponsit, where residents owned their homes an average of 20.5 years — the highest in NYC. Three of the 15 homes that were sold here in 2025 (all houses) stayed under the same ownership for over 45 years, therefore contributing to Neponsit’s long tenure. However, because the number of transactions is relatively low, it’s worth noting that Neponsit’s exceptionally high average is based on a lower number of sales than other top-ranking nhoods.
While Brooklyn’s Marine Park takes second place, with people owning their homes for an average of 18.7 years, Queens’s Queensboro Hill rounds out the podium with an average tenure of 18.1 years. Here as well, the vast majority of properties sold were single family homes, therefore pushing the average tenure well above the borough’s benchmark.
Interestingly, Woodhaven recorded a few co-op sales — a property type that can often have a significantly lower ownership length — yet still maintained one of the city’s highest averages, underscoring its lasting homeowner appeal. At the same time, College Point and Middle Village saw the highest number of condo transactions this year among the neighborhoods with the longest tenure (16 and 14 sales, respectively), reflecting a more diverse housing mix within these long-tenure communities.
The Bronx’s Morris Park marks the borough’s first and only entry in the top 10 neighborhoods where New Yorkers retained a home the longest, with an average tenure of 16.5 years. The neighborhood’s long-term ownership was sustained by four single family homes that recently sold after staying more than 40 years under their respective ownerships. As another clear depiction of how the property type affects tenure, Morris Park’s sales were exclusively made of single family homes.
Top 10 NYC Neighborhoods with Shortest Ownership Tenure (in Years)
- Two Bridges, Manhattan: 4.1
- Grasmere, Staten Island: 4.6
- Elm Park, Staten Island: 4.7
- Park Hill, Staten Island: 5.2
- Woodrow, Staten Island: 5.4
- Richmond Town, Staten Island: 5.6
- Graniteville, Staten Island: 5.6
- Grant City, Staten Island: 5.7
- Tompkinsville, Staten Island: 5.7
- Castleton Corners, Staten Island: 5.9
On the other end of the spectrum, 122 NYC neighborhoods stood below the city’s average tenure of 10.9 years. Moreover, nine out of the ten neighborhoods with the lowest tenure belong to Staten Island. It’s worth noting that among these communities, 2025 saw no co-op sales and very few transactions involving condos, which would typically pull down the average overall tenure. This dynamic makes the short tenure among Staten Island’s neighborhoods is all the more relevant.
More precisely, Grasmere owners were very likely to trade homes quickly in 2025, with the neighborhood posting an average tenure of just 4.6 years, the second-lowest in NYC. Elm Park followed at 4.7 years, while Park Hill and Richmond Town also recorded some of the city’s shortest tenures, averaging 5.2 and 5.6 years, respectively. Both Park Hill and Richmond Town appear to be in the early stages of gentrification, with redevelopment in Park Hill and renewed buyer interest in Richmond Town contributing to faster turnover.
Interestingly enough, Graniteville posted NYC’s seventh-lowest homeowner tenure, at 5.6 years on average, as half of the sales here involved condos. Unlike single family homes, which average at 12.9 years on a city level, condos have a slightly shorter tenure of just 10.6 years on average, which can explain Graniteville’s short-term ownership.
Two Bridges Marks NYC’s Shortest Tenure, Manhattan Valley Surpasses Borough’s Average
Manhattan stands out with Two Bridges, as the neighborhood recorded the shortest homeowner tenure in NYC, averaging just 4.1 years — well below Manhattan’s 10.5-year benchmark. Though based on a small sample of 19 sales, the low tenure reflects the neighborhood’s rapid gentrification and luxury redevelopment.
Once a relatively affordable area, Two Bridges has seen prices surge 288% over the past decade to $1.64 million, fueled by large-scale projects like One Manhattan Square and 247 Cherry Street. Conversely, Manhattan Valley posted a higher-than average tenure, with owners having kept their homes for 13.2 years before selling this year. Similarly, Kips Bay had an average tenure of 13.1 years, as some condos in the area remained under the same ownership for over 40 years.
Given Manhattan’s distinctive mix of wealth, property types and market fluidity, many neighborhoods hover close to the borough’s average homeowner tenure of around 10 years. This reflects a market where affluent owners have the flexibility to move when they choose, yet often hold their properties longer — drawn by the high value of prime locations and the prestige tied to Manhattan real estate.
In a city defined by movement, NYC’s tenure patterns reveal where homeowners stay rooted and where they’re more likely to move on — a snapshot of a housing market shaped as much by economics as by neighborhood character, with property prices also strongly tied to tenure.
NYC Ownership Tenure by Neighborhood — Full List
Explore the complete breakdown of homeownership tenure for properties sold in 2025 across NYC neighborhoods in the interactive table below:
Because tenure also influences how property values evolve, reviewing recent comparable sales (comps) can offer deeper insight into how long-held homes and quicker turnover shape pricing trends across the city.
Methodology
To determine the average homeownership tenure across NYC, we took into account all arm’s length home sales in 2025 that had at least one previous sale date, with new-build property sales excluded. We calculated the difference in years between the two sales and extracted the average tenure in NYC, as well as per boroughs and neighborhoods. Package deals were excluded, as were any sales where the current seller’s name did not match the previous buyer’s name.
We considered only single family, co-op and condo sales.
The average tenure in this instance represents strictly ownership, not occupancy.
The information on property type, price and size was also extracted from the PropertyShark database.
Data on the 2025 median household income was taken from Census.
FAQs
- What was the average NYC owner tenure in 2025?
As of 2025, the average homeownership tenure across NYC stands at approximately 10.9 years, according to the PropertyShark research.
- Which NYC borough has the longest homeownership tenure?
The Bronx has the longest average homeownership tenure at 12.9 years, followed closely by Queens at 12.7 years. Staten Island has the shortest tenure, at 6.5 years on average.
- Which NYC borough has the shortest homeownership tenure?
Staten Island has the shortest homeownership tenure, of just 6.5 years on average, significantly lower than the NYC average of 10.9 years.
- Why do some NYC neighborhoods have much shorter or longer homeownership tenures than others?
Homeownership tenure is influenced by factors like income levels, housing type, price and local market dynamics. Areas experiencing gentrification or redevelopment, such as Two Bridges, Park Hill or Richmond Town, often show shorter tenure due to rapid turnover, while stable, single family neighborhoods like Neponsit or Marine Park post much longer tenure.
- How does property type, home price and size affect how long New Yorkers keep their homes?
Single family homes and mid-priced properties tend to have the longest holding periods, while co-ops and very small or very large homes show shorter tenure. These differences reflect both owner mobility and the mix of investors vs. long-term primary residents.
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This article originally appeared on PropertyShark.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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