The state of poverty and disadvantage in New York City

As the pandemic hit, one in five New Yorkers found themselves out of work, and those who bore the brunt of the economic fallout were those already in precarious financial positions. But even pre-crisis, nearly one in five adults and one in five children lived in poverty and nearly half of New Yorkers lived with some form of disadvantage. Nearly 60 percent of Black and Latino adult New Yorkers lived in poverty for at least one year between 2015 and 2019, compared to 33 percent of white adults. 

The disturbing truth is that poverty and hardship  were widespread in New York City well before COVID-19. There were also deep and persistent inequities in poverty and hardship along racial and ethnic lines resulting from structural racism and discrimination. The good news is that government policies can play a vital role in reducing disadvantage. In 2019, government transfers reduced the overall poverty rate by 33 percent, moving 580,000 New Yorkers out of poverty. Well-designed reforms in public policy can also further racial equity goals around future anti-poverty efforts. Thus, it is essential for the policymakers and stakeholders tasked with getting our city’s economy running to understand that rebuilding requires recognizing the lived realities of New Yorkers and committing to doing better.

The State of Poverty and Disadvantage in New York City explores rates of income poverty, material hardship, and health problems in New York City in 2019 using Poverty Tracker Data. It also features preliminary estimates of the poverty rate in 2020.

In the News: A New Survey of New Yorkers Exposes Pandemic Inequality

The Poverty Tracker is a longitudinal study of the dynamics of poverty and disadvantage in New York City. It is a joint project of Robin Hood and Columbia University.