New York Is a State—It Contains No Other States

There are no states within the state of New York. New York is one of the 50 United States. It is subdivided into 62 counties, which contain cities, towns, and villages—not states.

New York's Internal Divisions

• Counties (62): E.g., New York County (Manhattan), Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Bronx, Richmond (Staten Island), Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Erie (Buffalo), Monroe (Rochester), Onondaga (Syracuse), Albany.
• Cities (62): Including NYC (5 boroughs = 5 counties), Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, Syracuse, Albany.
• Towns (932): Civil subdivisions of counties (unique to NY/NYE).
• Villages (550+): Incorporated areas within towns.
• School districts, fire districts, library districts — special-purpose units.

Common Confusions

• "New York State" vs. "New York City" — the city is *in* the state.
• "Upstate" — informal term for everything north of NYC metro.
• "Tri-state area" — NY, NJ, CT (three states, not within NY).

If you meant "largest cities in New York" or "counties by population," that's a different question.