Leaving Staten Island? Sell here first, then buy there
Staten Island · selling to move away
Leaving Staten Island? Sell here first, then buy there
If you are moving out of Staten Island, the sale of your house here pays for the next one. The typical Staten Island house sold for $759,500 over the twelve months to August 2026.
That is more than the typical home in New Jersey's shore counties, Florida or South Carolina. This page shows the gap, what selling here costs, and how to time the two moves.
Updated 9 November 2026
Where are Staten Islanders moving?
Mostly New Jersey and Florida. Simon Umanoff, who handles many of our Staten Island sales, puts the split at about 80% going to New Jersey or Florida, and the rest to places like South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Online searches point the same way: in Redfin's April to June 2026 sample of homebuyers looking to move to another metro, New York was second for searches to leave, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was eighth for searches to move in. That is search behaviour, not actual moves.
How much less do homes cost where Staten Islanders move?
In most of those places the typical home costs a good deal less. Against the Staten Island median of $759,500, the typical Florida single-family home sold for $344,500 less and the typical South Carolina home for $410,503 less. Ocean County, New Jersey was about $252,500 lower, while Monmouth County was close to even.
A seller with equity here may need a smaller loan there, which matters while rates are higher than a year ago.
| Place | Period | Median sale | Less than SI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staten Island | 12 months to Aug 2026 | $759,500 | |
| Monmouth County, NJ | Q3 2026 | about $730,000 | about $29,500 |
| Ocean County, NJ | Q3 2026 | about $507,000 | about $252,500 |
| Florida, single-family | Sep 2026 | $415,000 | $344,500 |
| South Carolina | Sep 2026 | $348,997 | $410,503 |
Staten Island: NYC Department of Finance sales of one to three family houses, the twelve months to August 2026, from our Staten Island housing market report. Monmouth and Ocean counties: PropertyShark market trends, Q3 2026 (rounded to the nearest thousand). Florida: Florida Realtors, existing single-family homes, September 2026. South Carolina: Redfin, all home types, September 2026. A median is the middle sale: half sold for more, half for less. These are typical homes, not your home.
What does it cost to sell a house on Staten Island?
On Staten Island the seller pays the New York State and New York City transfer taxes. On a sale at the island median of $759,500 that is about $13,861 (0.4% to the state and 1.425% to the city above $500,000).
Then come your mortgage payoff, your attorney and the broker fee. We go through every line with you before you list, so the number you plan the move on is the number you walk away with.
How fast do Staten Island homes sell right now?
Well-priced homes still sell quickly here. In August 2026 the median Staten Island home sold in 36 days, at 97.5% of its original asking price (Staten Island MLS).
Simon Umanoff, who handles many of our Staten Island sales, puts it this way: "I feel the buyers are very qualified. There's less looky-loos and more serious people."
Should I sell my Staten Island house before I buy?
Most people sell first, so they know exactly what they have to spend. You can also line up both closings in the same week, or ask your buyer for a short stay after closing that your attorney writes into the contract.
Which one fits depends on how much of the new purchase rides on this sale. We work that out with you, and with your lender, before your house goes on the market.
Is now a good time to sell and move?
Nobody can time a market, and we will not pretend to. What we can say is what today's numbers show: well-priced Staten Island homes are still selling in about a month.
Simon's view, from the sales he works on: "Taxes are always going to go up, insurance is always going to go up. ... So you waiting to time it perfectly like an investor really ends up hurting you in the long run."
Simon also notes that New Jersey property taxes can surprise people: "Tax is a heavy consideration when moving to Jersey, because it has a higher tax rate than you would expect in New York." Ask for the tax bill on any house you look at there.
Where are you thinking of going?
Read the page for your move: Staten Island to New Jersey, Staten Island to Florida or Staten Island to South Carolina. Going somewhere else? Call us; the Staten Island side works the same way.
If you would like help finding an agent where you are going, ask us when you call.
Moving away from Staten Island?
Tell us the address. Frank or Simon will price your house against the closest recent sales and go through what you would walk away with.