Homes for sale in Jackson Heights

Jackson Heights is a neighbourhood in northwestern Queens, New York City, with two identities living side by side on the same street grid. One is that of one of the most diverse neighbourhoods on the planet: dozens of languages spoken within a few blocks, restaurants from South Asia, the Himalayas and Latin America, and shops that never seem to close. The other is that of a neighbourhood planned more than a hundred years ago as a "garden city", with apartment buildings arranged around private gardens, and protected since 1993 as a New York City historic district.

For buyers, this combination produces a market that is rare in New York: apartments with space, light and an inner garden at prices far below those of Manhattan and much of Brooklyn, less than half an hour from Midtown. But almost all of these apartments are cooperatives — "co-ops" — and buying a co-op is not buying real estate in the usual sense. This page explains the neighbourhood, what is for sale and at what price, and what changes when you buy a co-op, especially from outside the United States.

Where it is and how to get there

Jackson Heights is in ZIP code 11372, between Woodside to the west, Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, and East Elmhurst and LaGuardia Airport to the north. Northern Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue are the main corridors, and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway runs along the western edge.

Transport is the great asset. The Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue / 74th Street station is one of the main subway hubs in Queens, served by the E, F, M, R and 7 lines, and express trains reach Midtown in about twenty to thirty minutes. The 7 line runs on an elevated viaduct above Roosevelt Avenue, with several stations along the neighbourhood. LaGuardia Airport is a few minutes away, and JFK can be reached by subway and bus.

The neighbourhood, area by area

The historic district and the gardens

The heart of Jackson Heights was built between 1914 and 1939 by the Queensboro Corporation, which bought farmland in 1909 and designed here one of the first planned communities in the United States. It was the Queensboro Corporation that coined the term "garden apartment": buildings set around the perimeter of the block, with a private garden in the centre shared by the residents. The historic district, designated in 1993, is regarded as the nation's first and largest planned community of cooperatives and garden apartments.

These buildings, four to six storeys high, with brick façades, stone details and apartments with generous ceiling heights, are the most sought-after product in the neighbourhood. The garden is one of the reasons for the price — and the historic district rules, which require permission from the city's landmarks commission to alter the exterior, are one of the reasons the neighbourhood has stayed as it is.

The houses

Between the apartment buildings there are streets of houses: Tudor-style or colonial-style rowhouses, some with their own garden, and larger one- and two-family houses. They are far fewer than the apartments and cost several times more — the price of a house with land half an hour from Midtown.

Roosevelt Avenue and the shops

Under the 7 line viaduct, Roosevelt Avenue and the streets around 74th Street concentrate the commerce that made the neighbourhood famous: shops and restaurants from South Asia, the Himalayas, Latin America and many other places. It is vibrant, noisy and busy at all hours. Living a block from here means having everything on the doorstep — along with the noise of the elevated train and the street.

34th Avenue and "Paseo Park"

To the north, 34th Avenue became during the pandemic a street open to pedestrians and cyclists along 26 blocks — the largest open street in the city — recently co-named Paseo Park. The city has announced an investment of 89 million dollars to turn it into a permanent linear park, with preliminary design starting in 2026 and the final design expected in 2028. The streets near Paseo Park have gained a quality of life that the rest of the city lacks, and the market already reflects it.

What is for sale and at what price

Our selection in Jackson Heights ranges from about US$ 239 thousand to US$ 1.75 million, in two almost separate markets. The apartments — studios, one- and two-bedrooms, almost all cooperatives — go from just over US$ 200 thousand to nearly US$ 600 thousand. The houses, with three to seven bedrooms, start above US$ 1.1 million.

In co-ops, the listed price is not the total cost. Every month you pay the "maintenance", the fee that covers the building's property tax, insurance, upkeep, staff and, often, the building's own mortgage. Two apartments with the same price can have very different monthly fees, and it is the fee that decides whether an apartment is cheap or expensive.

Buying a co-op: what changes

You do not buy the apartment, you buy shares

In a cooperative, the buyer does not become the owner of the apartment: they become the owner of shares in the corporation that owns the building, and receive a long-term lease — the "proprietary lease" — on their unit. In practice, they live as an owner; legally, they are a shareholder in a cooperative with its own rules.

Board approval

Every sale must be approved by the co-op board. The buyer submits a full financial package — income, assets, tax returns, reference letters — and is interviewed. The board can refuse without giving a reason, provided it does not do so on grounds prohibited by law. Many co-ops require a down payment of 20% or more and that the buyer keep, after the purchase, liquid reserves equal to one or two years of expenses.

Residency, subletting and buyers from abroad

Many co-ops require the apartment to be the buyer's primary residence and limit or prohibit subletting. For buyers from abroad, with no income or credit history in the United States, approval is often difficult, and buying to rent out may simply not be allowed. Before making an offer on a co-op, ask the building about its rules on residency, subletting, buyers from abroad and financing.

The flip tax

Many co-ops charge a "flip tax" on sale — usually between 1% and 3% of the price — paid by the seller or the buyer, depending on the building. It belongs in the calculation from the start.

The new second-home tax

In 2026 the state approved an annual tax on second homes in the city, the "pied-à-terre tax". It applies to co-ops and condominiums with a city assessed value of one million dollars or more, and to houses from five million — levels far above those of Jackson Heights. For properties in this neighbourhood, in the current price range, it does not apply.

Investment analysis

Appreciation

Jackson Heights has been attracting families and young professionals leaving Manhattan and Brooklyn in search of space, and Paseo Park has reinforced that trend. The apartments in the historic district, with a garden and good architecture, are the ones that have appreciated most. Because of their rules, co-ops appreciate more slowly and steadily than condominiums — there are fewer eligible buyers, but also less speculation.

Income

In a co-op, rental income depends entirely on the building's sublet rules, and many limit it to short periods or a number of years. In a two-family house, renting out one floor is possible and helps pay the mortgage. Either way, Jackson Heights is a market for living in, more than for investing from a distance.

Exit

Well-maintained apartments, with reasonable fees and in well-run buildings, sell well. A sale takes longer than in a condominium, because the next buyer also has to be approved by the board — the process can take two or three months after contract.

Points to consider

The building's finances

In a co-op, you also buy the financial health of the cooperative. Ask for the financial statements for recent years, the bylaws, recent board minutes and information on planned works and "assessments" — extraordinary contributions. A hundred-year-old building needs work on its façade, roof and plumbing, and the shareholders as a whole pay for it.

Façades and Local Law 11

In New York, buildings taller than six storeys must have their façades inspected periodically and carry out the required repairs. Most buildings in the historic district are lower, but those that are covered may have expensive work under way or planned. Always ask.

Noise

The 7 line viaduct above Roosevelt Avenue and the approach routes into LaGuardia bring noise to parts of the neighbourhood. An apartment facing the inner garden is another world compared with one facing the avenue — visit at rush hour and with the windows open.

Small and older apartments

The cheapest studios and one-bedrooms are often in buildings without a lift or with old installations. Check whether there is a lift, the condition of the electrical system and whether a washing machine is allowed in the apartment — in many older buildings it is not.

Houses and the historic district

A house inside the historic district needs permission from the landmarks commission to change windows, façade or roof. That protects the neighbourhood, but it makes works more expensive and slower. In older houses, always have a full inspection, including lead paint in houses built before 1978.

Listings that change quickly

Good apartments in Jackson Heights leave the market within weeks. A unit seen as available a month ago may already be in contract. Always confirm the current status before planning a visit.

Legal and tax checklist, in the US

Before making an offer on a co-op: the building's rules on residency, subletting, buyers from abroad and financing; the monthly fee and what it includes; financial statements, minutes and planned works; the flip tax; down payment and liquid reserve requirements.

Before making an offer on a house: certificate of occupancy and legal number of units; open violations; historic district rules; property tax bill; lead paint disclosure for houses built before 1978.

At purchase: in New York, a purchase is handled by attorneys on both sides. In a co-op, the contract is followed by the board package and the interview; only then does the sale close. There are city and state transfer taxes and, above one million dollars, the "mansion tax", paid by the buyer.

While owning: in a co-op, the monthly fee, which already includes the building's share of property tax; in a house, property tax, insurance and maintenance.

On sale: capital gains tax, the flip tax if there is one and, when the seller is a foreign person, FIRPTA withholding on the sale price, settled later on the tax return.

Who it suits — and who it does not

It suits those who will live in New York and want space, architecture and a garden half an hour from Midtown, at a price Manhattan does not offer. It suits those who value a neighbourhood with a life of its own and a diversity that has no parallel. And it suits those buying a house to live in and, possibly, rent out one of its floors.

It suits less those who want to buy from a distance to rent out — co-op rules rarely allow it —, those without a US financial history that will convince a board, and those who need to resell quickly.

Final thoughts

Jackson Heights offers what has become rare in New York: apartments with gardens, light and fine architecture at an accessible price, in a neighbourhood with first-class subway service. The low price of co-ops has a reason, and the reason is the rules. Those who know them before making an offer buy well; those who find out after contract that the board will not approve them, or that they cannot rent, lose time and money.

The path is simple to state: find out whether the property is a co-op, a condominium or a house, ask for the building's rules and finances before any offer, and check whether your own case — residency, income, source of funds — will pass the board.

When you contact us through a property page, we forward your enquiry to whoever has the complete information about that specific property — the type of ownership, the monthly fee, the building's rules and the current status of the listing. The entire inventory is available in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Hebrew.