What Queens Condo Buyers Actually Pay More For
Summary: Comparing apartments in the same building, Queens buyers pay more per square foot for height and larger terraces, and less for sheer size. We only report effects that held up in both earlier and recent sales, across at least 30 buildings.
We matched 4,190 sponsor sales in 161 Queens condo buildings to the unit details in their offering plans, the same way we did for Brooklyn. Three things moved the price per square foot, building after building: height, size and the amount of outdoor space.
Each figure below compares apartments inside the same building that closed in the same quarter, so location, finishes and market timing are already accounted for. We only report effects that are statistically significant, held up in both 2016–2022 and 2023–2026 sales, and rest on at least 30 buildings.
| Each floor higher | +1.1% |
|---|---|
| 100 sq ft more outdoor space | +1.1% |
| Apartment 10% larger | −1.2% |
Effects that held in both 2016–2022 and 2023–2026 closings. 4,190 sponsor sales, 161 buildings.
Each Floor Up Adds About 1.1%
In the same building, every floor higher adds about 1.1% to the price per square foot (95% confidence range 0.8% to 1.4%, across 104 buildings). It was 1.0% in 2016–2022 sales and 1.2% in 2023–2026, close to what we found in Brooklyn.
Compared with the second floor, a sixth-floor apartment of the same size sells for about 5% more per square foot, and a tenth-floor one about 8% more. For a 1,000-square-foot apartment at the typical Queens new-condo price of $1,126 per square foot, floor 10 over floor 2 is roughly $90,000.
- 0.0%2
- +0.2%3
- +1.9%4
- +2.8%5
- +4.8%6
- +4.3%7
- +5.8%8
- +8.0%9
- +8.0%10
- +8.7%11
- +9.9%12
- +11.1%13
- +13.5%14
2,954 sponsor sales in 104 Queens condo buildings, same size, bedrooms and outdoor space. Source: ACRIS deeds and offering plan Schedule A.
Bigger Apartments Cost Less per Square Foot
A larger apartment costs more in total, but less for each square foot. In the same building, an apartment 10% larger sells for about 1.2% less per square foot (95% range 0.5% to 1.9% less, 102 buildings; 1.0% in 2016–2022, 1.7% in 2023–2026).
So comparing a studio's price per square foot with a three-bedroom's isn't apples to apples. Compare a unit with apartments of a similar size; our unit sizes page shows what's typical.
More Outdoor Space Adds About 1.1% per 100 Square Feet
Among apartments that have a private terrace, balcony or yard, each extra 100 square feet of outdoor space adds about 1.1% to the price per interior square foot (95% range 0.7% to 1.6%, 2,169 sales in 103 buildings; 1.2% in 2016–2022, 1.2% in 2023–2026).
In Queens it's the size of the outdoor space that holds up. Simply having a balcony or not didn't make a consistent difference in the older sales, so we don't put a number on it.
Buildings With a Gym
Comparing different buildings in the same neighborhood and quarter, apartments in buildings with a gym sold for about 7.1% more per square foot (95% range 2.0% to 12.6%, 43 of 109 buildings have one). That passed in both periods, but it's an association, not a price tag: buildings with a gym can differ from their neighbors in other ways we don't measure, and the size of the gap differed a lot between earlier and recent sales.
What Didn't Hold Up
Distance to the subway. Within the same neighborhood, condos farther from a station did sell for less in 2016–2022, but the gap faded in 2023–2026 sales, so it doesn't pass our test. Leaving the amenity flags out of the comparison doesn't change that.
Building size. Bigger buildings didn't sell for more or less per square foot, either alongside the amenity flags or on its own as a stand-in for what larger buildings offer.
Too few buildings to tell. Penthouses and pools both showed premiums, but only 12 buildings in our comparison had penthouse sales and only 2 have a pool. That's below our 30-building minimum, so we don't put a number on them.
We also tested an extra bedroom at the same size, bathrooms, simply having a balcony or terrace, ground-floor units, elevators, finish level (by appliance brand), tax abatements, parking, storage, doorman, washer/dryer and common charges. None were significant and consistent in both periods.
What This Means If You're Buying
- Price per square foot isn't a fair yardstick by itself. Adjust for floor and size before calling one unit a bargain.
- A big terrace is worth more than a small one. Look at the outdoor square footage in Schedule A, not just whether there's a balcony.
- Inside one building, prices are predictable. A sale typically lands within about 5% of its building's median price per square foot. Use the building's own closed sales as your benchmark.
Every new condo's offering plan lists each apartment's size, floor and outdoor space in Schedule A. Look up a building on The Condo Book Project to compare units the way buyers price them.
How This Is Counted
We started from 4,667 sponsor (first) sales: deeds recorded in NYC ACRIS, each matched to its apartment in the building's offering plan Schedule A, filed with the New York Attorney General. The buildings are Queens condos whose plans were accepted 2015–2025. We removed sales that couldn't be tied to one building, sales that couldn't be confirmed as from the sponsor, sales closing more than six years after the plan was accepted, prices under $200,000 or over $10 million, and outliers in price per square foot. That leaves 4,190 sales in 161 buildings across 23 neighborhoods.
Each effect comes from a regression that compares apartments within the same building and closing quarter (2,954 sales in 104 buildings with at least three sales), with errors clustered by building. The gym figure comes from a second regression across buildings, with neighborhood and closing-quarter controls. We quote only effects that are statistically significant overall and point the same way, with a confidence range that excludes zero, in both halves of the sales: 2016–2022 and 2023–2026. Each must also rest on at least 30 buildings. (Brooklyn used 2015–2019 and 2020–2026; Queens has too few sales before 2020 to test that split.)
Limits: sponsor sales only, no resales. Square footage is the plan's interior figure. Deed prices don't net out sponsor concessions. Updated October 2026.
FAQ
Does a higher floor increase a Queens condo's price?
Yes. In Queens new condos, each floor up adds about 1.1% to the price per square foot, comparing apartments in the same building. A tenth-floor unit sells for about 8% more per square foot than a similar second-floor one.
Why do bigger apartments cost less per square foot?
Every apartment needs a kitchen and a bathroom whatever its size, so extra space likely adds less per foot. In the same Queens building, a 10% larger apartment sells for about 1.2% less per square foot.
How much does a terrace add in Queens?
Among apartments with outdoor space, each additional 100 square feet adds about 1.1% to the price per interior square foot.
Do Queens condos near the subway sell for more?
Not consistently. Within the same neighborhood, condos farther from a station sold for less in 2016–2022 sales, but not in 2023–2026, so we don't report a figure.
Where does this data come from?
From 4,190 recorded sponsor sales in NYC ACRIS, each matched to its apartment in the building's offering plan (Schedule A). Prices are actual sale prices, not asking prices.
Related: What Brooklyn Condo Buyers Actually Pay More For · Do NYC Condos Near the Subway Cost More?