More than 2.2 million New Yorkers lived in poverty in 2024, report finds

"More than 1 in 4 city residents lived below the poverty line - twice the national average, according to the new data. Another third of the city's population was considered low-income, or slightly better off in 2024, but still experienced similar rates of poor health and psychological distress. That means most of the city - about 59% - were either considered low-income or in poverty in 2024."

"The food assistance program known as SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - helps about 1 in 10 recipients stay above the poverty line, but still leaves many recipients without enough food for the month, the report said. More than 60% of SNAP recipients run out of food before the month's end."

"New York City is on the brink of falling off a poverty cliff. Washington is threatening to pull away the very lifelines keeping millions of families afloat. State and local leaders are being forced to make impossible choices to stave off the worst outcomes of an emergency they didn't create."

New York City's poverty crisis has reached its highest levels in a decade, with 2.2 million residents living below the poverty line and another third classified as low-income. This means approximately 59% of the city's population struggles with basic needs including food security, housing, and healthcare. The poverty rate in New York City is twice the national average. The situation is expected to worsen as federal cuts to SNAP food assistance and Medicaid loom. Over 60% of SNAP recipients exhaust their food benefits before month's end, leaving families without adequate nutrition. Robin Hood and Columbia University's data reveals that low-income residents experience similar rates of poor health and psychological distress as those in poverty.

Read at Gothamist