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
- Annual report , vol. 6 (2022), State of Poverty and Disadvantage—Feb 2024
- Annual report, vol. 5 (2021), State of Poverty and Disadvantage—Jan 2023
- Annual report, vol. 4 (2020), State of Poverty and Disadvantage—May 2022
- Annual report, vol. 3 (2019), State of Poverty and Disadvantage—Feb 2021
- Annual report, vol. 2 (2018), State of Poverty and Disadvantage—Feb 2020
- Annual report, vol. 1 (2017), State of Poverty and Disadvantage—Dec 2018
- Spotlight on: Food assistance from NYC’s pantry system—Nov 2024
- Spotlight on food hardship: Compounding hardships and health challenges among New Yorkers struggling to afford food—Nov 2023
- Spotlight on food assistance in NYC: Food pantry use spikes among non-U.S. citizens amid changing immigration rules—Nov 2022
- Spotlight on food hardship in New York City: Lessons learned during the pandemic and where we go from here—Nov 2021
- Spotlight on hunger: Food hardship in New York City is rising as New Yorkers wait for a second federal stimulus bill—Nov 2020
- Mapping hunger in New York City: A look at the rate of food hardship in NYC neighborhoods—Nov 2019
- Spotlight on food hardship: Many New Yorkers may be going hungry this Thanksgiving—Nov 2018
- Spotlight on SNAP: Which New Yorkers are leaving food on the table—Dec 2017
2024
- Spotlight on: Home-based child care in NYC in the Early Childhood Poverty Tracker—Sept 2024
- Spotlight on: Child care-related work disruption in the Early Childhood Poverty Tracker—Sept 2024
2023
- New York City’s 3-K for All supports mothers’ labor force participation—Sept 2023
- Spotlight on early childhood education: Participation in Pre-K before and during the COVID-19 pandemic—April 2023
2022
- Poverty and hardship among families with young children before and during the pandemic—July 2022
- Spotlight on health: Access to health insurance and health care for families with young children in New York City—March 2022
- Spotlight on mental health: Disparities in psychological distress among parents of young children in New York City—March 2022
2021
2019
2024
- The prevalence and persistence of energy insecurity in NYC—July 2024
- Spotlight on young adults in New York City—June 2024
- Portrait of disadvantage among Asian Americans in New York City in 2022—May 2024
- Portrait of disadvantage among women in New York City in 2022—Mar 2024
2023
- Racial discrimination intensified while the pandemic subsided: Experiences of Chinese New Yorkers during 2020-2022—Dec 2023
- Special series: Health and healthcare in New York City, second report—Apr 2023
- Work and education after the pandemic: Who was left behind?—Apr 2023
2022
- Spotlight on Child Tax Credit: Transforming the lives of families—Mar 2022
- Special series: Health and healthcare in New York City.—Feb 2022
- Spotlight on Housing: The looming eviction crisis is likely to exacerbate racial and economic inequity in New York City and requires bold policy action—Jan 2022
2021
- Spotlight on direct cash benefits during the pandemic: Spending, saving, and returning to work—Oct 2021
- Spotlight on occupations & mobility: Paths toward economic security through education and work
- Spotlight on life in New York City during COVID-19—Feb 2021
2020
- Spotlight on policing: Despite the end of stop-and-frisk, Black New Yorkers continue to be over-policed—Nov 2020
- Spotlight on COVID-19: The deepening economic insecurity and racial inequity—Oct 2020
- Paid sick leave in New York City: How are workers and families being protected during the COVID-19 pandemic?—Apr 2020
2019
- On the precipice: An analysis of the vulnerability of New Yorkers to financial shocks—Jun 2019
- Spotlight on forced moves and eviction in New York City—Jun 2019
- Spotlight on hope and opportunity: New Yorkers’ perception of economic mobility and opportunity—Mar 2019
2018
- Vulnerabilities and service needs of single-parent households in New York City—Dec 2018
- Public charge: How a new policy could affect poverty in New York City—Dec 2018
- Accessing help: A portrait of service use among New York City families with children—Aug 2018
- Spotlight on paid sick leave: Results from the New York City Earned Sick Time Act—May 2018
2017
2016
- Why don't low-income New Yorkers seek help?—Dec 2016
- The persistence of poverty in New York City—Oct 2016
- Dynamics of disadvantage in New York City—Mar 2016
2014
