Poverty Measure

The Poverty Research Team is responsible for the development of the NYCgov Poverty Measure. The alternative NYC poverty measure, in comparison to the official U.S. measure of poverty, includes a threshold that accounts for the higher cost of housing in New York City. Additionally, it incorporates the value of programs intended to alleviate poverty; adjusting family incomes for benefits such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The work has received nationwide attention and contributed to development of the Federal Supplemental Poverty Measure.

The New York City Government Poverty Measure, 2005-2017

The latest NYC Opportunity annual report on poverty was released in May 2019. The report updates the NYCgov Poverty Measure for New York City in 2017.

The citywide poverty rate fell to 19.0 percent in 2017 from 20.6 percent in 2014. The share of the population living at or near the poverty rate fell in those years to 43.1 percent from 45.1 percent, a 2 percentage point decline.

Read the Full NYCgov Poverty Measure Report

Read the NYCgov Poverty Measure Technical Appendices:

APPENDIX A: The Poverty Universe and Unit of Analysis
APPENDIX B: Deriving a Poverty Threshold for New York City
APPENDIX C: Adjustment for Housing Status
APPENDIX D: The NYCgov Tax Model
APPENDIX E: Estimating the Value of Nutritional Assistance
APPENDIX F: Estimating the Value of HEAP Benefits
APPENDIX G: Work-Related Expenses
APPENDIX H: Medical Out-of-Pocket Expenditures
APPENDIX I: Accuracy of the Data and Changes to the NYCgov Model

National Interest

The U.S. Census Bureau released its first research report on the new Supplemental Poverty Measure in November 2011. This effort was informed by the work of the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity, which released its first report on an alternative measure for New York City in 2008. The new Supplemental Measure provides a more realistic picture of poverty by accounting for both families' resources and their expenses. This work is based on the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences.
U.S. Census Report

Learn more

D'Onofrio, Christine, Mark Levitan et al. International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, August 2012
The Status of Women in Poverty Using Alternative Poverty Measures: New York City's Local Area Estimate

Levitan, Mark and Daniel Scheer, IRP Discussion Paper No. 1398-12, November 2011
Effect of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on the New York City Poverty Rate

Levitan, Mark et al. Pathways, Stanford University, Fall 2011
Understanding Local Poverty: Lessons from New York City's Center for Economic Opportunity

Virgin, Vicky in partnership with NYC CEO, June 10, 2011
Creating the CEO Poverty Unit: An Evaluation Using the CPS ASEC

Levitan, Mark et al. Prepared for 32nd Annual Research Conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, November 4-6, 2010
Accounting for Housing Needs in a High Rent City: Poverty Research by the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity

Potter, Frank et al. JSM, 2010
Imputation Variance Estimation Protocols for the NAS Poverty Measure: The New York City Poverty Measure Experience

Levitan, Mark and Trudi Renwick, JSM, 2010
Using the American Community Survey to Implement a National Academy of Sciences-Style Poverty Measure: A Comparison of Imputation Strategies

Levitan, Mark et al. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 29(2): 373-386, Spring 2010
Using the American Community Survey to create a National Academy of Sciences-Style Poverty Measure: Work by the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity