Boston vs New York City: PowerScore Rebate Comparison
Boston is in Massachusetts and New York City is in New York — two different regions with two different rebate systems, scored on one shared yardstick.
Best in class
Boston has the bigger open rebate for 4 of the 8 upgrades, and New York City for 2. Dollar amounts below are the most open programs pay, in US dollars (Canadian amounts converted at an approximate rate), so they can be compared across the border. Amounts are the most a program pays; the top figures are often for lower-income households.
Neither city is at the top of the country for any upgrade. The last column shows who is.
Where each city stands in the country
| Upgrade | Boston | New York City | Best in the country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Pump | #7 (tied with 12 more) of 135 · $16,000 | #34 (tied with 4 more) of 135 · $11,000 | Whitehorse · $17,520 |
| Insulation | No open rebate | #2 (tied with 5 more) of 94 · $14,000 | Chicago · $20,000 |
| Solar | No open rebate | No open rebate | Yellowknife · $14,600 |
| Battery Storage | No open rebate | No open rebate | Riverside · $10,000 |
| Water Heater | #49 (tied with 18 more) of 108 · $750 | #2 of 108 · $5,000 | Brookhaven · $7,000 |
| Smart Thermostat | #16 (tied with 19 more) of 84 · $100 | #61 of 84 · $85 | Naperville · $275 |
| EV Charger | #36 (tied with 10 more) of 52 · $700 | #48 of 52 · $400 | Bakersfield and 6 more · $5,000 |
| Windows & Doors | #61 (tied with 12 more) of 78 · $75 | No open rebate | Barre and 4 more · $9,500 |
Rank counts every city we score. See the national leaderboard.
Category-by-category PowerScore
| Category | Boston | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| 🔥 Heat Pump | 100.0 | 70.0 |
| 🧊 Insulation | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| ☀️ Solar | 3.8 | 0.0 |
| 🔋 Battery Storage | 3.8 | 15.0 |
| 🚿 Water Heater | 46.4 | 100.0 |
| 🌡️ Smart Thermostat | 68.8 | 70.2 |
| 🚗 EV Charger | 48.4 | 41.0 |
| 🪵 Windows & Doors | 29.9 | 0.0 |
| Overall PowerScore | 50.1 | 49.5 |
Frequently asked questions
Which city has the better overall PowerScore, Boston or New York City?
Boston has the higher overall PowerScore at 50.1/100, compared to New York City's 49.5/100. PowerScore is a 0-100 average of 8 rebate categories built from real published rebate amounts, program status, and how many programs stack.
Which city has better solar rebates, Boston or New York City?
Boston scores higher on solar, 3.8 vs 0.0 out of 100. Boston's strongest category overall is heat pump at 100.0, while New York City's strongest is insulation at 100.0.
Is it fair to compare Boston and New York City directly?
Yes. Every city's PowerScore is measured against one shared yardstick in US dollars, so Boston (Massachusetts) and New York City (New York) are on the same scale. Canadian amounts are converted at an approximate rate, and programs have different rules, so treat scores within a few points of each other as a tie.