Our research, in partnership with Robin Hood, finds that the New York City poverty rate has reached its highest level on record, with 1 of 4 residents—or 2.2 million people—living below the poverty line in 2024 since the Poverty Tracker began collecting data more than a decade ago. Our findings on the state of poverty and disadvantage in New York City were covered in an exclusive by the New York Times. We highlighted how recent federal cuts to the social safety net will yield even greater economic insecurity for New Yorkers. Our annual report spotlights SNAP’s critical role in keeping families afloat—lifting roughly 1 in 10 recipients above the poverty line—while emphasizing that many recipients often remain in financially precarious positions, navigating health problems and material hardships and low wages. Without that support, we find the city’s affordability crisis could deepen significantly.
The big takeaway is that in 2024, economic hardship in New York City was the norm.
Press Highlights:
- Poverty in New York City inched higher in 2024 for third year in a row—The New York Times
- More than 2.2 million New Yorkers lived in poverty in 2024, report finds—Gothamist
- Poverty on the rise in New York City—The Brian Lehrer Show | WNYC
- Aumenta la pobreza en NYC por 3 anos consecutivos—Telemundo 47
- A record 2.2 million NYC residents live in poverty, with economic hardship now 'the norm' in city: report—1010 Wins
- Nearly 5 million New Yorkers fall under low income, poverty line: report—New York City Pix 11