The New York Times Asked NYC Mayoral Candidates How Much A House In Brooklyn Costs, Only One Got It Right

Brooklyn is home to 19 of New York City’s priciest neighborhoods and its residents know it. However, it seems that most of the candidates running for mayor do not.

The New York Times asked the city’s top mayoral candidates how much a house in Brooklyn costs. Five of the candidates live in Brooklyn, but the question led to a wide range of answers and the belief that many of the city’s candidates do not know the financial hardships average New Yorkers face.

According to Realtor.com the average price of a house in Brooklyn is $929,000.

Shaun Donovan, who ran the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Barack Obama and previously served as housing commissioner of NYC under Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the Times, “I would guess it is around $100,000.”

Former Citigroup Executive Ray McGuire came in lower: “It’s got to be somewhere in the $80,000 to $90,000 range, if not higher.”

Representatives for both men later said they misspoke.

Donovan’s spokesman Jeremy Edwards told the paper Donovan got his figures mixed up as Donovan was working on a complex housing assessment lawsuit. McGuire emailed the paper Tuesday saying he made a mistake when accounting the cost of a house in the popular borough.

Other candidates were closer, but still off. Dianne Morales, who was born, raised, and still lives in Brooklyn guessed $500,000. Former NYC Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, who grew up in Park Slope, one of Brooklyn’s most affluent neighborhoods, guessed $800,000.

Former Bill de Blasio aide Maya Wiley said the figure was $1.8 million, overshooting the average price, but considering how expensive the city is, no one was shocked at her answer. City Comptroller Scott Stringer guessed $1 million and entrepreneur Andrew Yang, came the closest with his guess of $900,000.

The question pointed out just how much a house in the borough and in the city costs. According to Business Insider, Hawaii ($636,451) is the most expensive state to buy a house. The price of a home in Brooklyn is at least $200,000 more.

Fast Company reported in March that 4.2% of residents who left Manhattan during the pandemic, moved to Brooklyn, the second-highest rate outside of Suffolk County, Long Island.