Should I Buy on Staten Island or in Brooklyn in 2026?

Should I buy on Staten Island or in Brooklyn in 2026?
It comes down to budget and lifestyle. Staten Island gives you more space for less money – a borough-wide median near $720,000 – while Brooklyn gives you walkability and transit at a higher median of about $850,000. This guide breaks down price, taxes, and commute for both boroughs.

Joseph Ranola is a full-time real estate agent and the Team Leader of the Bridge and Boro Real Estate Team at Real Broker LLC. He works in both Staten Island and Brooklyn, which makes him one of the few agents who can give buyers an honest side-by-side instead of selling one borough over the other. Here is how the two stack up in 2026.

Here is the fresh number that frames the whole decision: in April 2026 the Brooklyn borough-wide median sale price was about $850,000, up 4.2% from $815,500 a year earlier, while Staten Island traded at roughly a $720,000 median. With the 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.53% as of May 28, 2026 (Freddie Mac), that price gap translates into a meaningful monthly payment difference – and that is before you factor in property taxes, which run differently in each borough.

What does the same budget buy on Staten Island vs Brooklyn?

The honest answer: more square footage on Staten Island, more location in Brooklyn. At a similar price, Staten Island typically buys a detached or semi-detached single-family or legal 2-family home with a driveway and a yard – the kind of space that lets a family spread out or rent a unit for income. Brooklyn at the same number more often buys a condo, a co-op, or a share of a multi-family, with the trade being walkable blocks, restaurants, and subway access instead of a backyard.

If you’re buying on Staten Island, here’s what’s different

Staten Island is house-and-driveway living. The product is mostly 1-3 family homes, and the legal 2-family is a borough staple that lets owners offset the mortgage with rental income. The borough-wide median sits near $720,000, and the South Shore neighborhoods – Charleston, Annadale, Tottenville, Prince’s Bay – lead the new-construction market. The commute leans on the Staten Island Ferry and express buses, which suits Lower Manhattan workers better than Midtown ones. Property taxes use the Class 1 assessment, where annual increases are capped at 6% (and 20% over five years), so longtime owners often carry a tax bill well below a brand-new buyer’s.

If you’re buying in Brooklyn, here’s what’s different

Brooklyn is location and transit. The product skews toward condos, co-ops, brownstones, and multi-family, and the borough-wide median is about $850,000 – though that number hides enormous range, from a $470,000 Williamsburg co-op to multimillion-dollar new-development condos along the Gowanus canal and the Williamsburg waterfront. Brooklyn’s subway access to Manhattan is faster and broader across the L, G, F, R, and other lines. Co-op board approval is a real hurdle here that does not exist on most Staten Island purchases, and it is the single most common reason a Brooklyn deal stalls.

Are property taxes lower on Staten Island or in Brooklyn?

This one surprises buyers. Brooklyn (Kings County) carries a lower effective property tax rate – about 0.73% – versus roughly 0.91% on Staten Island (Richmond County). But rate is not the bill. Because Brooklyn’s assessed values are higher, many Staten Island homeowners pay a lower absolute annual tax bill, helped by the Class 1 cap that limits how fast assessments can climb. On a $740,000 Staten Island home, expect roughly $7,400 to $10,360 a year before exemptions. Run your specific numbers before you assume one borough is cheaper.

Which borough is the better commute to Manhattan?

Brooklyn wins on raw subway speed and frequency to most of Manhattan. Staten Island works well if your office is in the Financial District or Lower Manhattan, thanks to the free Staten Island Ferry, but it is a longer haul to Midtown. If your week is built around a Manhattan commute, weigh that before the price tag.

How do I decide between Staten Island and Brooklyn?

Start with the trade-off that matters most to you – space or location – then layer in taxes and commute against your budget. Joseph Ranola has closed $40M+ across both boroughs and will walk you through the real numbers for your situation. For deeper borough guides, see the best realtor on Staten Island and the best realtor in Brooklyn, or work with Joseph directly.