Poverty in New York City

The Poverty Tracker: An Innovative Partnership to Study Poverty and Disadvantage in New York City

There is no place quite like New York City. It is a large, diverse, and ever-changing city of more  than eight million people. That is why Robin Hood and Columbia University partnered to  rigorously study poverty and economic disadvantage at the local level.

The Poverty Tracker, a joint project of Robin Hood and Columbia University launched in 2012, is  a pioneering study that captures a more complete picture of life in New York City, tracking the dynamics of poverty, material hardship, and health over time by following a representative sample of up to 4,000 New Yorkers multiple times a year. In 2017, we expanded our focus with the The Early Childhood Poverty Tracker, following over 1,500 families with young children to better understand the experiences of our youngest New Yorkers. We continue to collaborate with partners and public  stakeholders as we explore new questions and solutions to the challenges faced by New Yorkers.

Poverty Tracker Reports

2024


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017


2016


2014