Staten Island may be known for its tight-knit blocks and suburban feel, but when it comes to homeownership, it is New York City’s most restless borough.

A recent PropertyShark analysis shows Staten Island homeowners sold their properties after just 6.5 years on average in 2025. 

The borough has the shortest tenure in the city and barely half the time seen in the Bronx and Queens, where owners held on for nearly 13 years. 

Staten Island stands out as New York City’s fastest-turnover housing market, with homeowners selling after just 6.5 years on average, far sooner than in the Bronx and Queens, where owners stay nearly 13 years. Jeenah Moon

Citywide, homeowners stayed put for about 10.9 years, underscoring just how quickly Staten Island turns over by comparison.

The borough’s churn is driven less by instability than by who buys there — and why. 

Much of Staten Island’s housing stock consists of single-family and small multifamily homes that draw first-time buyers priced out of other boroughs. Those buyers, brokers say, rarely view the move as permanent.

The churn is driven largely by the borough’s housing stock and buyer profile: Staten Island is dominated by single-family and small multifamily homes that attract first-time buyers priced out of other boroughs, many of whom view the move as temporary. Yuriy T – stock.adobe.com

“The Staten Island neighborhoods mentioned are mostly single-family homes and smaller multifamily homes. Usually, first-time home buyers are attracted to these due to relative affordability, and easy access to Manhattan,” Adjina Dekidjiev, a longtime New York City broker at Coldwell Banker Warburg, told The Post. 

That affordability, however, often comes with an expiration date.

“Buyers see these homes as transitional; they outgrow them quickly as families expand and tend to move to larger homes, often in New Jersey or on Long Island,” Dekidjiev said.

Income also plays a role. Staten Island households earn more than double the median income of Bronx households, according to the study, giving owners more flexibility to move and to do so sooner. 

As families grow or finances improve, owners often trade up or relocate to New Jersey, Long Island, or out of state. contentzilla – stock.adobe.com

In lower-income boroughs like the Bronx, residents often stay put because selling would not significantly improve their housing options.

When discussing why some boroughs see longer tenures, Doug Ressler, manager of business intelligence at Yardi Matrix, which is affiliated with PropertyShark, there are equity-rich homeowners with little incentive to move. 

By contrast, Staten Island’s relative affluence makes mobility easier and more common.

Housing type further fuels the cycle. Detached houses tend to trade hands more frequently than co-ops, which dominate in boroughs like the Bronx and parts of Manhattan.

“It’s a house-driven market, not a co-op market, and anytime people are buying detached homes instead of long-term co-ops, they move more,” Nathan Richardson, founder of CashForHome.com told The Post. 

Higher household incomes also make it easier for residents to move, unlike in lower-income boroughs where homeowners are more financially locked in. Aristide Economopoulos

Richardson said many Staten Island buyers are essentially testing the waters.

“I’ve noticed a huge chunk of Staten Island buyers are ‘non-lifers,’ being Brooklyn or Queens families who need more space and are testing the commute, then trading up or moving out again within a few years, and that alone keeps sales cycling,” he said.

Investor activity amplifies the effect. As prices rise and neighborhoods improve, flippers and small landlords move in, shortening ownership timelines on paper.

“On top of that, Staten Island is in one of those rare in-between stages where prices are rising, neighborhoods are improving and investors are circling. That mix always creates churn; flippers, small landlords, and first-time buyers who sell once they’ve built some equity,” Richardson said.

“When PropertyShark tracks tenure, every investor flip or LLC transfer counts as a short ownership period, so the borough looks even more transient on paper than it actually feels on the ground.”

Investor activity, including flips and LLC transfers, further shortens recorded ownership periods, while rising prices and neighborhood changes encourage frequent sales. Paul Martinka

Migration trends are also reshaping the borough. Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO and broker at Echo Fine Properties in Palm Beach, Florida, said Staten Island residents are leaving New York at higher rates than other boroughs.

“We are seeing lots more movement from New York but a giant more of it from Staten Island,” he said.

Political motivations are increasingly part of the equation.

“I had one guy who moved here yesterday I talked to. I [asked] why is he moving here? Usually I get the weather but he said, ‘one reason only, politics!’” Lichtenstein said. “Staten Island is much more red and we get many people saying they want to be in the ‘free state of Florida.’ Much less so then from Manhattan.”

The result is a borough where homes change hands quickly, particularly in neighborhoods like Grasmere and Elm Park, where properties sold after less than five years on average.