The survey found that most New York City residents are satisfied with living in the city. 84% reported being satisfied or very satisfied with NYC as a place to live, and 82% were satisfied or very satisfied with their neighborhood. Satisfaction varied by borough, with Manhattan and Staten Island residents generally most satisfied and Bronx residents least satisfied. The survey also examined opinions on housing, business, and open space development as well as perceptions of each borough. Overall, New Yorkers reported high levels of happiness in their lives.

1. The MAS Survey on Livability
Supported by The Rockefeller Foundation
Conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion

2. Overall, are you very satisfied, satisfied, not very
satisfied, or not at all satisfied with New York City
as a place to live?
Satisfaction with very satisfied
satisfied
NYC/ not very
satisfied
not at all
satisfied
84% of New Yorkers are satisfied or
very satisfied

3. Satisfied or very satisfied with New York City as a
place to live:
Bronx
77%
Manhattan
Satisfaction by 95%
Borough/ Queens
85%
Brooklyn
79%
Staten Island
80%

4. Overall, are you very satisfied, satisfied, not very
satisfied, or not at all satisfied with your
neighborhood as a place to live?
Satisfaction with very satisfied
satisfied
Neighborhood/ not very
satisfied
not at all
satisfied
82% of New Yorkers are satisfied or
very satisfied

5. Dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with your
neighborhood as a place to live:
Bronx
Manhattan
31%
9%
Dissatisfaction Queens
by Borough/ 16%
Brooklyn
20%
Staten Island
10%
31% of Bronx residents are dissatisfied
or very dissatisfied

6. If you had the opportunity, would you:
Continue living where
51%
you are now
Would You Move to another part
of your neighborhood
11%
Move?/ Move to another area
15%
in New York City
5-10 years
Move out of New York City
all together 24%

7. Would you move out of New York City all
together? Yes:
Bronx
Manhattan
39%
Would You Move? 11%
Borough Queens
23%
Responses/ Brooklyn
23%
Staten Island
33%

8. For each of the following, please tell me if you strongly agree, agree,
disagree, or strongly disagree with the statement, :*
Has easy access to public transportation 93%
Is a good place to walk 85%
Is clean 76%
Neighborhood Has good parks & green spaces
I feel safe walking at night by myself
76%
74%
Assessment/ Is a good place to raise children
Has good schools 63%
72%
Is rich with history 62%
People frequently move in & out 55%
Is noisy 46%
*Presents percentage reporting either ‘strongly agree’
or ‘agree’

9. Safe walking along at night?
YES—Manhattan (89%) & Staten Island (80%)
NO—Bronx (59%) & Brooklyn (69%)
Neighborhood Noisy?
Assessment YES– Manhattan (56%) & Bronx (50%)
Good place to raise kids?
Disparities/ YES—72% of New Yorkers
Good parks & green spaces?
NO—32% of Brooklyn

10. For each of the following, please tell me if you strongly agree, agree,
disagree, or strongly disagree with the statement:*
Quality of grocery stores & markets 71%
Police protection 67%
Neighborhood Quality of shopping
Variety of good restaurants
65%
63%
Services/ Street repair & maintenance
A place to experience culture, such as museums & the arts
42%
51%
Variety of entertainment, such as cinemas & theaters 41%
*Presents percentage reporting either ‘excellent’ or
‘good’

11. Good grocery stores and markets?
NO—40% of the Bronx & 27% of Manhattan
YES– 74% of Brooklyn & 75% of Staten Island
Street repair and maintenance?
Neighborhood POOR or FAIR—59% of Staten Island
Services Cultural outposts?
Disparities/ YES—61% of Manhattan & 47% of Brooklyn
Access to entertainment?
YES—57% of Manhattan & 40% of Staten Island

12. Which one of the following comes closest to your
view? Development of housing in my
neighborhood should:
Preserve & restore existing buildings
Housing 21%
Development/ Build new housing but only in the style of
existing housing
14%
Build new housing which is affordable
regardless of the style
28%
There shouldn’t be any more housing
development in my neighborhood
37%

13. Which one of the following comes closest to your
view? Business development in my neighborhood
should:
Preserve & support existing businesses
Business 14%
Development/ Support development of small businesses that fit into
my neighborhood
42%
Support development of large businesses that will employ
many people regardless of whether it fits into my
neighborhood 22%
There shouldn’t be any more business development in my
neighborhood
15%
Unsure 6%

14. New housing developments?
NO—37% of New York & 67% of Staten Island
Preserve existing buildings?
Development Build affordable housing?
Findings/ Develop new businesses?
YES—78% of New Yorkers
New large scale business developments?
YES—26% of Brooklyn

15. I prefer to shop at I prefer to shop at
43% locally-owned, small
neighborhood stores
29% locally-owned, small
stores for clothes
for food or groceries
I prefer to shop at
I prefer to shop at
54% large, chain, retail 66% large, chain, retail
stores for clothes
stores for food or
groceries
My Unsure: 4% Unsure: 5%
Neighborhood/ There are plenty of
My neighborhood has
done a good job at
72% locally owned small
businesses in my 54% preserving its historic
buildings and
neighborhood landmarks
Large, chain retail Many of the historic
buildings and
21% stores & restaurants
have replaced many of 32% landmarks have been
the locally owned, small replaced or not
businesses maintained
neighborhood
Unsure: 7% Unsure: 14%

16. When you see a “Made in New York” label, which
comes closer to your view:
contributing to my
Made in New local economy
unsure
York/ paying too much
for product

17. Is it more important to you to have:
Protecting Open open space
new business
Space/ unsure

18. How much do you use the parks and public
spaces in your neighborhood?
Protecting Open
Space/
A great A good Not very Not at
deal. amount much all
I don’t use public space and parks because:
THEY’RE DANGEROUS—10% of Manhattan, 6% of Queens &
8% of Staten Island; 1 in 5 Latinos
THERE AREN’T ANY—19% of Staten Island
I DON’T HAVE TIME—33% of New York

19. For each of the following, please tell me which
borough of New York City, that is, Manhattan,
Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Staten Island,
comes to mind?
Bronx
7%
Manhattan
Best Place to 31%
Live/ Queens
24%
Brooklyn
24%
Staten Island
9%
Unsure
5%

20. For each of the following, please tell me which
borough of New York City, that is, Manhattan,
Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Staten Island,
comes to mind?
Bronx
5%
Manhattan
Safest/ 38%
Queens
19%
Brooklyn
11%
Staten Island
14%
Unsure
14%

21. For each of the following, please tell me which
borough of New York City, that is, Manhattan,
Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Staten Island,
comes to mind?
Bronx
7%
Manhattan
Friendliest/ 28%
Queens
23%
Brooklyn
24%
Staten Island
7%
Unsure
11%

22. For each of the following, please tell me which
borough of New York City, that is, Manhattan,
Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Staten Island,
comes to mind?
Bronx
7%
Manhattan
Most Family 15%
Friendly/ Queens
Brooklyn 30%
28%
Staten Island
12%
Unsure
8%

23. For each of the following, please tell me which
borough of New York City, that is, Manhattan,
Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Staten Island,
comes to mind? Bronx
26%
Manhattan
Most 4%
Affordable/ Queens
21%
Brooklyn
23%
Staten Island
13%
Unsure
12%

24. Overall, in your life, would you say you are:
Borough Comparisons*
Bronx
86%
Manhattan
91%
New Yorkers Queens
Are Happy/ Staten Island 93%
95% Brooklyn
89%
*Presents percentage reporting either ‘very happy’ or
‘happy’

25. The MAS Survey on Livability
Supported by The Rockefeller Foundation
Conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion