New York/Compare
Long Island City vs Upper East Side
Long Island City and Upper East Side are two official neighborhoods in New York. Upper East Side is the calmer Part I map (67 vs 33). Upper East Side wins the errand count. Long Island City has the lower ACS median ($2,560).
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 | Long Island City | Upper East Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 33 | 67 |
| Schools | 37 | 97 |
| Walk | 22 | 73 |
| Cost fit | 98 | 89 |
| Vibe | 12 | 59 |
| Median rent | $2,560 | $2,817 |
| Median home | $810,536 | $1,416,654 |
| Population | 59,515 | 193,914 |
| Commute to Midtown | 28 min | 15 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 39 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 22 min | 29 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Long Island City | Upper East Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 82% | 62% |
| Median age | 34.8 | 43.2 |
| Median income | $127K | $162K |
| Part I per 1k | 19.1 | 11.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 45 | 101 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 180 | 251 |
| Parks / 800m | 80 | 96 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,559 | 1,659 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for New York city. Up 48% since 2014. LIC is 41% above the 2024 city median. UES is 55% 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 Long Island City if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $2,560 vs $2,817. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Upper East Side if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the errands on foot. Schools score 97 vs 37. Walk is 73 vs 22. Vibe is 59 vs 12. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Upper East Side
Doorman buildings, school-district hunting, and a museum wall along the park. The east 80s are quieter than the listings imply.
$2,817 median rent · safety 67 · walk 73
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Long Island City or Upper East Side?
Long Island City is the lower ACS median: $2,560 vs $2,817. About 82% rent in Long Island City vs 62% in Upper East Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Long Island City more walkable than Upper East Side?
Upper East Side wins the errand count (walk 22 vs 73). Groceries inside 800 meters: 45 vs 101. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Long Island City or Upper East Side?
Upper East Side is the calmer Part I read (67 vs 33). Combined rate 11.4 vs 19.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Long Island City or Upper East Side?
Upper East Side leads the school axis (97 vs 37). Nearby rating is 8.7 / 10 vs 6.9 / 10. Median age 43.2 vs 34.8. Long Island City has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
28 minutes from Long Island City to Midtown, 15 from Upper East Side. Upper East Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Long Island City or Upper East Side: Greenpoint. Polish bakeries, a waterfront that finally opened, and the overflow from Williamsburg without the L-train crush.
Scores are relative among official New York neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.