New York/Compare
Jackson Heights vs Long Island City
Jackson Heights and Long Island City are two official neighborhoods in New York. Jackson Heights is the calmer Part I map (90 vs 33). Long Island City wins the errand count. Jackson Heights has the lower ACS median ($1,861).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · NYPD Oct 2025 – Jun 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official New York neighborhoods.
| Axis | Jackson Heights | Long Island City |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 90 | 33 |
| Schools | 30 | 37 |
| Walk | 3 | 22 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 98 |
| Vibe | 0 | 12 |
| Median rent | $1,861 | $2,560 |
| Median home | $563,589 | $810,536 |
| Population | 93,975 | 59,515 |
| Commute to Midtown | 42 min | 28 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 48 min | 39 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 28 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Jackson Heights | Long Island City |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 82% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 34.8 |
| Median income | $80K | $127K |
| Part I per 1k | 9.4 | 19.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 45 | 45 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 99 | 180 |
| Parks / 800m | 68 | 80 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,200 | 1,559 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for New York city. Up 48% since 2014. Jackson is 2% above the 2024 city median. LIC is 41% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Jackson Heights if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 90 vs 33. ACS median rent is $1,861 vs $2,560. Jackson Heights is tagged family on this map; Long Island City is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Long Island City if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 22 vs 3. Vibe is 12 vs 0. 28 vs 42 minutes to Midtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Jackson Heights
Roosevelt Avenue, the 7 train, and the densest food in Queens. Diversity is the amenity, not a slogan.
$1,861 median rent · safety 90 · walk 3
Long Island City
Waterfront towers, the 7 train, and a skyline that faces Manhattan. New-build default for people priced out of the island.
$2,560 median rent · safety 33 · walk 22
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Jackson Heights or Long Island City?
Jackson Heights is the lower ACS median: $1,861 vs $2,560. About 60% rent in Jackson Heights vs 82% in Long Island City. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Jackson Heights more walkable than Long Island City?
Long Island City wins the errand count (walk 3 vs 22). Groceries inside 800 meters: 45 vs 45. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Jackson Heights or Long Island City?
Jackson Heights is the calmer Part I read (90 vs 33). Combined rate 9.4 vs 19.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Jackson Heights or Long Island City?
Long Island City leads the school axis (37 vs 30). Nearby rating is 6.9 / 10 vs 6.7 / 10. Median age 34.8 vs 42.5. Jackson Heights has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
42 minutes from Jackson Heights to Midtown, 28 from Long Island City. Long Island City is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Jackson Heights or Long Island City: Astoria. 30th Avenue, Ditmars, and the last neighborhood where a one-bedroom still sometimes behaves. Greek, Egyptian, Brazilian, and a beer garden.
Scores are relative among official New York neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.