Toilets in New York City

New York City contains approximately 1,100 publicly managed toilets,^[1] as well as an unknown number of privately owned toilets. As of 2017, there were around 3.5 million housing units in New York City (many with toilets),^[2] while private toilets also exist in offices and other non-residential establishments.^[3]

Compared to other big cities, public bathrooms in New York City are rare, as the 1,100 public restrooms result in a rate of 16 per 100,000 residents. Most public restrooms are located in parks; comparatively few other public spaces, including New York City Subway stations, have public restrooms. There have been several attempts to install pay toilets in New York City since the 1990s, and five pay toilets have been installed as part of a program launched in 2006. The cost to build public toilets varies widely, but they averaged $3.6 million as of 2019^[update].

During the mid-19th century, prior to the advent of indoor plumbing and flush toilets, buildings and homes used outhouses and chamber pots as toilets. Proper plumbing was only mandated under the New York State Tenement House Act of 1901.