Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
City's Poverty Rate Rises, Federal Rate Falls
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 3, 2010
Modified Mar 3, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 3, 2010
Modified Mar 3, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
According to a new standard based on research by the National Academy of Sciences, the number of people classified as "poor" in New York city rose by nearly 160,000 from 2005 to 2008, from 20.6% of the population to 22%. This new standard takes into account things like housing, medical and child care expenses. However, the federal census reports a decline in poverty for the city between 2005 and 2008, from 19.1% to 17.6%. So what's with the difference?
The Times reports that one of the major factors is the rising cost of housing in the city. City officials raised the limit of what defines "poverty" 25% for a family of four. Now any family of four with an annual income below $30,419 is considered poor, and even that number is still low. The federal threshold in 2008 was $21,834. The recession also hit the city hard, and one in five families failed to earn enough to escape poverty. Many elderly citizens also fell into poverty by not being reimbursed for medical expenses.
Yesterday, the Obama administration said it would adopt a poverty standard similar to the city's standard, which would take into account things like food stamps and the varying costs of living across America. However, officials still think the city's poverty rate may have risen for 2009. “People aren’t necessarily losing their jobs,” said Mark K. Levitan, the director of poverty research for the Center for Economic Opportunity, “but are moving down the job ladder.”
Tagged
census
obama administration
poverty
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use
A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.
By
James Ramsay
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
A NYC judge brought his gun into court for an ‘experiment’. Now he’s censured.
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .