The Rockaways
Community district in New York City
Borough: Queens
Open The Rockaways on the mapThe map shows every boundary here, from council and legislative districts to school boards, with what’s nearby. Tap any address in it for its own card.
About Queens
The largest borough by area, east of Brooklyn on Long Island, home to both of the city’s airports.
What stands out
- Among the most affordable rents in Queens (median $1,440/mo)
- Among the longest transit trips to Penn Station in New York City (about 87 min)
- Among the newest housing in Queens (19% built 2000 or later)
Living here
- Housing
- Lower housing cost. Median home $690K · renters pay $1,440/moSurvey estimates for 2020–2024, not current prices, for the whole community district. Rent is what renting households pay, utilities included, counting rent-stabilized and subsidized homes, so it sits well below what a new lease costs. Use them to compare districts, not to budget.
- To Penn Station
- Over an hour. About 87 min by transit, weekday morning
- Getting to work
- Mostly car. 54% drive · 35% transit · 9% walk or bike
- Households
- Mostly renters. 62% rent
- Tree canopy
- Under 10%. 8% of the land is under treesSatellite land cover, 2021 (ESA WorldCover, 10 m).
- Home types
- Detached 22% · Attached 8% · 2–19 units 28% · 20+ units 41%
- Built
- 1939 or earlier 19% · 1940–79 52% · 1980–99 9% · 2000 or later 19%
- Ages
- Under 15 22% · 15–24 12% · 25–44 22% · 45–64 25% · 65+ 18%
- Language at home
- English only 70% · Spanish 17%English only, or the language besides English that each person 5 or older speaks at home. For tracts the Census groups some languages: Bengali, Hindi and Urdu are among “other Indo-European”.
- Recent immigrants
- 8% born abroad, came to the US 2010 or laterShare of residents, from the 2020–2024 survey.
American Community Survey 2020–2024 and MTA schedules, The Rockaways. Tiers compare the 59 community districts.