The Mayor’s Office has released the NYC Government Poverty Measure 2017 showing a slight decrease of poverty in the city over the course of 5 years. Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Fort Greene, Downtown Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Park Slope community districts have the lowest poverty rates in Brooklyn and are well below New York City average.
The report shows that the NYC poverty rate fell from 20.7% in 2013 to 19% in 2017, a 1.7 percentage point. The NYC poverty threshold in 2017 for a family of four was $33,562 annual household income. 19% of families in NYC had a household income of $33,562 or lower.
In the same five-year period, the near poverty rate – the percentage of people living at 150 percent of the poverty level or below – fell from 46% to 43%, a 2.8 percentage point decline. The NYC Near Poverty Threshold in 2017 for a family of four was $50,343 annual household income. 43% of families in NYC had a household income of $50,343 or lower.
5 year average poverty rates by Community District (CD)/neighborhood:
- Brooklyn overall 21%
- Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn & Fort Greene 11%
- Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill & Red Hook 9.6%
The City’s anti-poverty initiatives include a commitment to build or preserve 300,000 units of affordable housing, universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds, paid sick leave, and technology-focused approaches to improving social services benefits access. Increases in the minimum wage have been one of the most important factors in driving down poverty. Read the full report here.
