What is the poverty rate in New York?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 13.8% of New York’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 2.69 million people in New York were considered in poverty.
13.8%
of the population (2025)
2.69M
people living under the poverty line (2025)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, New York's poverty rate hit a peak in 2011 of 16%. Its lowest point was in 2019 at 13%. The state's poverty rate was 13.8% in 2025, 0.2 percentage points lower than the previous year.
In 2025, 13.8% of New York's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 2.69M people living in New York were in poverty — down 12.3% from the 2014 peak of 3.06M.
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In 2025, 2.69M people in New York were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in New York?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in New York decreased from 22% to 17.9%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 14.2% to 12.4%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 11.2% to 14.1%.
In 2025, 17.9% of children in New York were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in New York?
Among racial or ethnic groups in New York during 2025, six had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; some other race; and two or more races
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: White, not Hispanic or Latino; and Asian.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the some other race population shifted the most, decreasing from 29.3% in 2015 to 20.8% in 2025.
In New York, the poverty rate for the some other race population decreased from 29.3% in 2015 to 20.8% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in New York have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among New York counties ranged from 5.4% in Nassau County to 27.8% in Bronx County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Kings County — was 19.1%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among New York counties ranged from 5.4% to 27.8%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Bronx County | 27.8% |
| 2. | Kings County | 19.1% |
| 3. | Cattaraugus County | 19.1% |
| 4. | Broome County | 18.5% |
| 5. | Franklin County | 18.2% |
| 6. | Chautauqua County | 17.4% |
| 7. | St. Lawrence County | 16.9% |
| 8. | New York County | 16.5% |
| 9. | Tompkins County | 16.4% |
| 10. | Oswego County | 16.3% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
