The State of Poverty and Disadvantage in New York City
Robin Hood and CPSP released the sixth Poverty Tracker Annual Report which assesses rates of income poverty, material hardship, and economic disadvantage in New York City in 2022. New York City saw a sharp increase in poverty, with almost half a million more residents living below the poverty line compared to the previous year. The rise was largely attributed to the expiration of pandemic-era government policies that expanded tax credits, cash assistance, food assistance, and unemployment insurance. This year’s Poverty Tracker report also spotlights the wider affordability crisis faced by New Yorkers.
Findings:
In 2022, nearly 500,000 more New Yorkers lived in poverty than the year prior.
More than 1.5 million adult New Yorkers (23%) and nearly 420,000 children (25%) in New York City lived in poverty in 2022, up from 1.2 million adults (18%) and 260,000 children (15%) in 2021.
Rates of material hardship in New York City also increased in 2022, as roughly 29% of adults and 31% of children experienced material hardship – up from 24% and 26% in 2021, respectively.
The increase in poverty and hardship between 2021 and 2022 follows the expiration of historic pandemic-era policy interventions that helped stabilize rates of adult poverty and reduced child poverty to record lows during the pandemic.
New Yorkers living below the poverty line were not the only ones struggling to get by in 2022 – more than 4.6 million New Yorkers (56%) had incomes below 200% of the poverty line. New Yorkers with incomes below 200% of the poverty line were twice as likely to experience difficulty paying for housing, energy and telephone bills, and food than those above 200% of the line.
More than half (52%) of adult New Yorkers faced at least one form of disadvantage (poverty, material hardship, or health problems) in 2022.
Suggested Citation: Poverty Tracker Research Group at Columbia University. 2024. The State of Poverty and Disadvantage in New York City, Volume 6. Robin Hood.
Related News: Poverty has soared in New York, with children bearing the brunt - New York Times
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.
