Like all states, New York has certain places that are going on hard times. These New York places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in New York.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 169 cities in New York with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Here are the ten poorest places in New York for 2023:
What’s the poorest city in New York? According to the facts, New Square is the poorest place in New York for 2023.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more New York reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New York
- Cheapest Places To Live In New York
- Most Dangerous Places In New York
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Cities In New York For 2023
1. New Square
/10
Population: 9,433
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Income: $24,881 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 60.6% (highest)
People In Poverty: 5,712
More on New Square: Data | Cost Of Living
New Square, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in New York thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 9,433 people averages the lowest median household income in New York and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Kaser
/10
Population: 5,433
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Income: $26,525 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 60.4% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 3,284
More on Kaser: Data | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in New York is Kaser.
The city ranks as having the 2nd highest incidence of poverty and 2nd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 24th highest in the Empire State.
3. Geneseo
/10
Population: 8,140
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Income: $34,223 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 40.5% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 3,300
More on Geneseo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Geneseo’s median income ranks as the 4th lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 40.541103017689906% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Empire State.
4. Kiryas Joel
/10
Population: 32,498
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Income: $39,826 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 40.5% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 13,173
More on Kiryas Joel: Data | Cost Of Living
Kiryas Joel ranks as the fourth poorest place in New York.
The town ranks as having the 11th lowest median household income and the 4th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Jamestown
/10
Population: 28,818
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Income: $36,162 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.1% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 8,103
More on Jamestown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in New York is Jamestown.
The city ranks as having the 7th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 10th highest in New York.
Still not the best news for Jamestown.
6. Binghamton
/10
Population: 47,828
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Income: $39,012 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.0% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 15,309
More on Binghamton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Binghamton ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Empire State.
It ranks as having the 7th highest incidence of poverty and the 6th highest unemployment rate.
7. Salamanca
/10
Population: 5,918
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 2)
Median Income: $36,047 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.9% (16th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,531
More on Salamanca: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Salamanca places as the seventh poorest city in New York.
The city of over 5,918 ranks as having the 16th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Rochester
/10
Population: 211,100
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Median Income: $40,083 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.3% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 61,954
More on Rochester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Rochester ranks as the eighth poorest city in New York.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as the 18th highest in the state.
9. Ithaca
/10
Population: 31,819
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Income: $40,973 (16th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.5% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 10,979
More on Ithaca: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Ithaca couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in New York; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 16th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Ithaca ranks as having the 5th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in New York.
10. Syracuse
/10
Population: 146,781
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 1)
Median Income: $40,490 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 30.1% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 44,132
More on Syracuse: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in New York is Syracuse.
The city of 146,781 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Empire State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In New York for 2023
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2017-2021 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 169 places with more than 5,000 people in New York, we ranked each place from 1 to 169 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, New Square, crowned the “Poorest Place In New York For 2023”.
This report has been updated for 2023, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in New York.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In New York For 2023
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in New York, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in New York.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in New York, according to data:
-
Richest: Larchmont
2nd Richest: East Hills
3rd Richest: Scarsdale
For more New York reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In New York
- Safest Places In New York According To Science
- Worst Places To Live In New York State
- Most Expensive Places To Live In New York
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In New York
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Square | 9,433 | 60.6% | $24,881 | 5,712 |
| 2 | Kaser | 5,433 | 60.4% | $26,525 | 3,284 |
| 3 | Geneseo | 8,140 | 40.5% | $34,223 | 3,300 |
| 4 | Kiryas Joel | 32,498 | 40.5% | $39,826 | 13,173 |
| 5 | Jamestown | 28,818 | 28.1% | $36,162 | 8,103 |
| 6 | Binghamton | 47,828 | 32.0% | $39,012 | 15,309 |
| 7 | Salamanca | 5,918 | 25.9% | $36,047 | 1,531 |
| 8 | Rochester | 211,100 | 29.3% | $40,083 | 61,954 |
| 9 | Ithaca | 31,819 | 34.5% | $40,973 | 10,979 |
| 10 | Syracuse | 146,781 | 30.1% | $40,490 | 44,132 |
| 11 | Monticello | 7,199 | 27.0% | $38,885 | 1,943 |
| 12 | Dunkirk | 12,651 | 26.7% | $36,901 | 3,373 |
| 13 | Port Jervis | 8,772 | 24.2% | $36,065 | 2,125 |
| 14 | Potsdam | 8,455 | 23.2% | $32,969 | 1,958 |
| 15 | Buffalo | 276,011 | 27.6% | $42,186 | 76,074 |
| 16 | Endicott | 13,588 | 26.7% | $42,035 | 3,623 |
| 17 | Elmira | 26,737 | 25.5% | $41,675 | 6,808 |
| 18 | Utica | 64,723 | 28.0% | $43,509 | 18,135 |
| 19 | Hudson | 5,964 | 23.5% | $40,417 | 1,402 |
| 20 | Niagara Falls | 48,763 | 23.8% | $43,336 | 11,619 |
| 21 | Amsterdam | 18,218 | 23.8% | $43,164 | 4,327 |
| 22 | Malone | 5,396 | 25.2% | $44,737 | 1,361 |
| 23 | Olean | 13,941 | 23.5% | $43,345 | 3,282 |
| 24 | Gloversville | 15,211 | 22.5% | $42,363 | 3,423 |
| 25 | New Paltz | 7,378 | 33.0% | $51,912 | 2,436 |
| 26 | Oswego | 17,105 | 25.2% | $47,847 | 4,305 |
| 27 | Lackawanna | 19,697 | 22.1% | $43,824 | 4,352 |
| 28 | Fulton | 11,461 | 23.6% | $46,959 | 2,705 |
| 29 | Spring Valley | 32,953 | 24.2% | $49,106 | 7,987 |
| 30 | Auburn | 26,913 | 20.2% | $44,076 | 5,432 |
| 31 | Watertown | 25,172 | 20.8% | $46,051 | 5,243 |
| 32 | Norwich | 6,982 | 17.9% | $41,554 | 1,252 |
| 33 | Johnson City | 15,275 | 19.6% | $45,545 | 2,989 |
| 34 | Troy | 50,717 | 23.3% | $50,304 | 11,799 |
| 35 | Watervliet | 10,363 | 19.8% | $46,205 | 2,054 |
| 36 | Massena | 10,377 | 21.2% | $46,894 | 2,203 |
| 37 | Newburgh | 28,834 | 21.4% | $47,952 | 6,161 |
| 38 | Bath | 5,613 | 16.2% | $40,678 | 908 |
| 39 | Albion | 5,281 | 16.5% | $41,708 | 873 |
| 40 | Brockport | 7,246 | 22.0% | $50,316 | 1,597 |
| 41 | Schenectady | 66,809 | 21.3% | $50,237 | 14,206 |
| 42 | Cortland | 17,577 | 21.9% | $50,697 | 3,854 |
| 43 | Mechanicville | 5,191 | 18.8% | $47,785 | 974 |
| 44 | Penn Yan | 5,268 | 15.6% | $41,014 | 821 |
| 45 | Poughkeepsie | 31,475 | 18.8% | $48,805 | 5,928 |
| 46 | Albany | 99,402 | 21.7% | $52,583 | 21,595 |
| 47 | Medina | 5,941 | 17.3% | $46,433 | 1,028 |
| 48 | Hornell | 8,284 | 17.0% | $46,735 | 1,409 |
| 49 | Webster | 5,717 | 16.2% | $46,430 | 928 |
| 50 | Plattsburgh | 19,969 | 19.2% | $53,181 | 3,836 |
| 51 | Hudson Falls | 7,413 | 18.8% | $54,013 | 1,396 |
| 52 | Ogdensburg | 10,153 | 18.4% | $53,510 | 1,863 |
| 53 | Walden | 6,841 | 22.2% | $64,115 | 1,522 |
| 54 | Geneva | 12,577 | 18.6% | $56,019 | 2,345 |
| 55 | Solvay | 6,661 | 16.0% | $50,953 | 1,065 |
| 56 | Rome | 32,309 | 17.4% | $53,995 | 5,610 |
| 57 | Kingston | 23,972 | 18.9% | $58,840 | 4,526 |
| 58 | Canton | 6,994 | 18.2% | $55,531 | 1,276 |
| 59 | Oneonta | 12,764 | 18.4% | $58,499 | 2,346 |
| 60 | Batavia | 15,497 | 16.0% | $51,914 | 2,473 |
| 61 | Herkimer | 7,239 | 13.6% | $51,051 | 984 |
| 62 | Oneida | 10,493 | 12.4% | $49,516 | 1,302 |
| 63 | Corning | 10,708 | 16.0% | $53,269 | 1,708 |
| 64 | Newark | 9,049 | 13.0% | $53,138 | 1,175 |
| 65 | Lockport | 20,876 | 12.4% | $51,819 | 2,579 |
| 66 | Fredonia | 10,018 | 16.0% | $57,240 | 1,605 |
| 67 | Middletown | 30,086 | 16.5% | $59,755 | 4,970 |
| 68 | Cohoes | 17,931 | 16.1% | $58,669 | 2,891 |
| 69 | Saranac Lake | 5,003 | 14.4% | $54,813 | 722 |
| 70 | Johnstown | 8,247 | 12.4% | $54,068 | 1,024 |
| 71 | New York | 8,736,047 | 17.0% | $70,663 | 1,481,225 |
| 72 | Rensselaer | 9,330 | 16.0% | $66,136 | 1,489 |
| 73 | Hempstead | 58,532 | 17.2% | $74,680 | 10,067 |
| 74 | Ilion | 7,826 | 13.8% | $62,832 | 1,079 |
| 75 | Tonawanda | 15,132 | 10.9% | $56,112 | 1,642 |
| 76 | Manorhaven | 6,923 | 18.4% | $89,341 | 1,272 |
| 77 | Haverstraw | 12,292 | 14.8% | $69,839 | 1,819 |
| 78 | Chestnut Ridge | 10,211 | 19.1% | $98,203 | 1,950 |
| 79 | Glens Falls | 14,784 | 11.6% | $60,907 | 1,721 |
| 80 | North Syracuse | 6,796 | 11.1% | $61,738 | 754 |
| 81 | Canandaigua | 10,563 | 8.0% | $52,365 | 848 |
| 82 | Mount Vernon | 72,855 | 12.7% | $68,300 | 9,249 |
| 83 | Yonkers | 209,730 | 13.2% | $72,403 | 27,748 |
| 84 | Horseheads | 6,564 | 8.4% | $53,964 | 553 |
| 85 | North Tonawanda | 30,592 | 10.8% | $61,926 | 3,318 |
| 86 | West Haverstraw | 10,665 | 13.0% | $73,414 | 1,385 |
| 87 | Glen Cove | 28,187 | 13.8% | $81,693 | 3,884 |
| 88 | East Rochester | 6,348 | 9.1% | $60,260 | 575 |
| 89 | Wappingers Falls | 6,074 | 8.6% | $59,607 | 519 |
| 90 | Lancaster | 10,046 | 7.6% | $57,316 | 767 |
| 91 | Fairport | 5,452 | 11.8% | $79,637 | 643 |
| 92 | Depew | 15,188 | 8.8% | $65,292 | 1,329 |
| 93 | Baldwinsville | 7,739 | 9.5% | $67,038 | 737 |
| 94 | Hilton | 6,015 | 9.6% | $69,289 | 577 |
| 95 | Peekskill | 25,304 | 10.8% | $75,642 | 2,739 |
| 96 | Port Chester | 31,317 | 10.9% | $88,093 | 3,425 |
| 97 | Scotia | 7,305 | 7.5% | $63,097 | 550 |
| 98 | New Rochelle | 80,685 | 10.3% | $87,159 | 8,349 |
| 99 | Kenmore | 15,207 | 8.3% | $72,946 | 1,261 |
| 100 | Ossining | 27,368 | 8.7% | $85,538 | 2,387 |
