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NYC Poverty Level Drops To Record Lows, But Income Inequality Persists
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 1, 2019
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GRETCHEN ROBINETTE / GOTHAMIST
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 1, 2019
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New York City’s poverty rate has declined to historic lows, amid increases in both median household income and jobs , according to new census data.
On Tuesday, the de Blasio administration said the city’s poverty rate fell to 17.3 percent in 2018, a drop of 3.5 percent since 2013. The poverty rate is the lowest rate for the city since the American Community Survey began releasing annual data in 2006, according to the mayor’s press release. City Hall also said that based on its analysis of decennial census data, the poverty level is also the lowest since the 1970s.
In 2016, the city's poverty threshold for a household consisting of two adults and two children was measured as $32,402.
Between 2013 and 2018, median household income grew by 13 percent, to $63,799 from $56,298. During that same period, jobs increased by about 500,000. The city's unemployment rate in 2018 was 4.1 percent, the lowest since the data was made available.
The declines in poverty and unemployment in New York City follow a national trend, according to the most recent census numbers. Across the U.S., the number of Americans with income below the poverty level is 13.1%, down from 13.4% in 2017. Nationally, the number of Americans with income below the poverty level is 13.1%, down from 13.4% in 2017, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, roughly the lowest it has been since 2000, when it was at 4 percent.
Other cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington D.C. also experienced a drop in poverty rates.
Mayor de Blasio this week trumpeted the milestone, saying he had fulfilled his pledge to “end the Tale of Two Cities,” a reference to his 2013 campaign slogan.
But since coming into office in 2014, income equality has been relatively unchanged in New York City, according to a report last month by the Manhattan Institute. The report also relied on census data, specifically the Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, from 2014 to 2017. The mayor's office responded to the report by saying that the indicator does not capture the full picture of economic gains made by lower-income New Yorkers.
Tagged
poverty rate
census
income inequality
american community survey
bill de blasio
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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