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 171 cities in New York with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In New York For 2024:
What’s the poorest city in New York? According to the facts, New Square is the poorest place in New York for 2024.
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
The 10 Poorest Cities In New York For 2024
1. New Square
/10
Population: 9,578
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $27,488 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 64.2% (highest)
People In Poverty: 6,147
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 9,578 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: 5,501
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $30,320 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 60.4% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 3,323
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 45th highest in the Empire State.
3. Geneseo
/10
Population: 7,713
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Income: $37,701 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 39.6% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,055
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 39.62% 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: 34,368
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Income: $40,218 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 43.3% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 14,877
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 8th lowest median household income and the 3rd 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: 28,679
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Income: $39,507 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.2% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 8,098
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: 47,617
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Median Income: $42,031 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.7% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 15,099
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 8th highest unemployment rate.
7. Endicott
/10
Population: 13,540
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 9)
Median Income: $43,509 (13th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.5% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,988
More on Endicott: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Endicott places as the seventh poorest city in New York.
The city of over 13,540 ranks as having the 9th 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. Salamanca
/10
Population: 5,906
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Median Income: $38,472 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.8% (17th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,523
More on Salamanca: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Salamanca ranks as the eighth poorest city in New York.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Elmira
/10
Population: 26,494
Rank Last Year: 17 (Up 8)
Median Income: $41,073 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.6% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 7,325
More on Elmira: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Elmira couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in New York; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 9th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Elmira ranks as having the 13th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in New York.
10. Syracuse
/10
Population: 146,134
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Income: $43,584 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.6% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 43,197
More on Syracuse: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in New York is Syracuse.
The city of 146,134 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 2024
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 2018-2022 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 171 places with more than 5,000 people in New York, we ranked each place from 1 to 171 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 2024”.
This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in New York.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In New York For 2024
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: Pelham Manor
2nd Richest: East Hills
3rd Richest: Ardsley
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 | 9,578 | 64.2% | $27,488 | 6,147 |
| 2 | Kaser | 5,501 | 60.4% | $30,320 | 3,323 |
| 3 | Geneseo | 7,713 | 39.6% | $37,701 | 3,055 |
| 4 | Kiryas Joel | 34,368 | 43.3% | $40,218 | 14,877 |
| 5 | Jamestown | 28,679 | 28.2% | $39,507 | 8,098 |
| 6 | Binghamton | 47,617 | 31.7% | $42,031 | 15,099 |
| 7 | Endicott | 13,540 | 29.5% | $43,509 | 3,988 |
| 8 | Salamanca | 5,906 | 25.8% | $38,472 | 1,523 |
| 9 | Elmira | 26,494 | 27.6% | $41,073 | 7,325 |
| 10 | Syracuse | 146,134 | 29.6% | $43,584 | 43,197 |
| 11 | Ithaca | 31,359 | 33.1% | $45,468 | 10,367 |
| 12 | Potsdam | 8,570 | 24.4% | $31,584 | 2,094 |
| 13 | Rochester | 210,992 | 27.9% | $44,156 | 58,930 |
| 14 | Port Jervis | 8,725 | 23.6% | $38,804 | 2,058 |
| 15 | Buffalo | 276,688 | 27.2% | $46,184 | 75,176 |
| 16 | Monticello | 7,224 | 25.6% | $45,531 | 1,851 |
| 17 | Niagara Falls | 48,502 | 25.1% | $45,932 | 12,154 |
| 18 | Utica | 64,728 | 28.2% | $48,212 | 18,240 |
| 19 | Olean | 13,890 | 23.8% | $45,078 | 3,311 |
| 20 | Dunkirk | 12,668 | 24.9% | $46,800 | 3,151 |
| 21 | Newburgh | 28,751 | 26.5% | $48,555 | 7,610 |
| 22 | Malone | 5,507 | 26.3% | $49,531 | 1,449 |
| 23 | Hudson | 5,923 | 23.3% | $46,293 | 1,378 |
| 24 | Brockport | 7,192 | 23.2% | $46,468 | 1,671 |
| 25 | Oswego | 17,092 | 25.4% | $50,266 | 4,348 |
| 26 | Fredonia | 9,710 | 24.6% | $48,855 | 2,390 |
| 27 | Amsterdam | 18,244 | 22.0% | $46,338 | 4,013 |
| 28 | Mechanicville | 5,177 | 20.7% | $45,686 | 1,070 |
| 29 | Spring Valley | 32,963 | 25.3% | $50,749 | 8,329 |
| 30 | Lackawanna | 19,762 | 21.5% | $46,869 | 4,256 |
| 31 | Albion | 5,428 | 18.1% | $41,985 | 982 |
| 32 | Massena | 10,218 | 21.6% | $48,161 | 2,211 |
| 33 | Gloversville | 15,113 | 20.7% | $47,205 | 3,128 |
| 34 | Bath | 5,606 | 18.1% | $42,832 | 1,017 |
| 35 | Fulton | 11,381 | 23.9% | $51,243 | 2,722 |
| 36 | New Paltz | 7,732 | 37.8% | $59,779 | 2,925 |
| 37 | Liberty | 5,030 | 17.5% | $43,594 | 879 |
| 38 | Albany | 99,692 | 23.3% | $54,736 | 23,268 |
| 39 | Auburn | 26,674 | 19.9% | $48,203 | 5,310 |
| 40 | Troy | 51,268 | 23.3% | $54,837 | 11,945 |
| 41 | Hornell | 8,208 | 18.8% | $47,632 | 1,544 |
| 42 | Johnson City | 15,229 | 20.3% | $50,611 | 3,088 |
| 43 | Cortland | 17,574 | 22.2% | $55,042 | 3,903 |
| 44 | Schenectady | 68,476 | 21.2% | $54,650 | 14,530 |
| 45 | Watervliet | 10,325 | 20.2% | $51,092 | 2,087 |
| 46 | Watertown | 24,859 | 19.5% | $49,722 | 4,845 |
| 47 | Plattsburgh | 19,907 | 21.7% | $55,049 | 4,321 |
| 48 | Norwich | 6,950 | 18.1% | $50,579 | 1,261 |
| 49 | Poughkeepsie | 31,717 | 18.3% | $53,875 | 5,807 |
| 50 | Canton | 7,245 | 19.6% | $57,639 | 1,420 |
| 51 | Ogdensburg | 9,902 | 18.5% | $58,184 | 1,834 |
| 52 | Oneonta | 14,097 | 20.0% | $62,188 | 2,815 |
| 53 | Lockport | 20,808 | 16.4% | $56,053 | 3,408 |
| 54 | Rome | 32,031 | 17.0% | $56,901 | 5,448 |
| 55 | Cohoes | 17,960 | 19.6% | $62,679 | 3,512 |
| 56 | Kingston | 24,018 | 18.4% | $62,071 | 4,431 |
| 57 | Saranac Lake | 5,079 | 16.8% | $58,197 | 850 |
| 58 | Geneva | 12,670 | 18.6% | $63,602 | 2,352 |
| 59 | Batavia | 15,510 | 13.3% | $54,937 | 2,058 |
| 60 | Corning | 10,685 | 16.8% | $59,453 | 1,796 |
| 61 | Rensselaer | 9,252 | 19.9% | $68,284 | 1,839 |
| 62 | Solvay | 6,607 | 13.8% | $55,302 | 915 |
| 63 | Penn Yan | 5,134 | 11.1% | $50,878 | 568 |
| 64 | Medina | 5,827 | 14.3% | $56,782 | 833 |
| 65 | Newark | 9,076 | 14.0% | $56,142 | 1,274 |
| 66 | Hudson Falls | 7,426 | 15.8% | $58,746 | 1,174 |
| 67 | Herkimer | 6,858 | 12.6% | $56,607 | 864 |
| 68 | Oneida | 10,326 | 12.4% | $56,044 | 1,282 |
| 69 | North Syracuse | 6,669 | 14.6% | $64,583 | 975 |
| 70 | Walden | 6,861 | 17.6% | $76,724 | 1,208 |
| 71 | New York | 8,622,467 | 17.2% | $76,607 | 1,483,064 |
| 72 | Middletown | 30,169 | 15.1% | $70,155 | 4,546 |
| 73 | Tonawanda | 15,096 | 10.7% | $59,532 | 1,619 |
| 74 | Hempstead | 58,557 | 16.0% | $80,350 | 9,351 |
| 75 | Webster | 5,725 | 12.2% | $63,833 | 700 |
| 76 | Horseheads | 6,524 | 9.0% | $58,125 | 587 |
| 77 | Mount Vernon | 72,817 | 13.9% | $75,511 | 10,114 |
| 78 | Glens Falls | 14,743 | 11.5% | $64,731 | 1,701 |
| 79 | Glen Cove | 28,132 | 15.3% | $91,372 | 4,295 |
| 80 | North Tonawanda | 30,479 | 10.8% | $66,836 | 3,294 |
| 81 | Yonkers | 209,780 | 13.2% | $78,208 | 27,690 |
| 82 | Johnstown | 8,216 | 8.8% | $59,809 | 721 |
| 83 | Canandaigua | 10,562 | 8.2% | $59,144 | 868 |
| 84 | Haverstraw | 12,286 | 12.4% | $77,254 | 1,527 |
| 85 | Port Chester | 31,288 | 14.3% | $92,116 | 4,464 |
| 86 | East Rochester | 6,321 | 10.1% | $65,134 | 638 |
| 87 | Hilton | 5,998 | 11.1% | $75,098 | 662 |
| 88 | Ilion | 7,703 | 10.6% | $71,556 | 818 |
| 89 | West Haverstraw | 10,649 | 12.5% | $81,795 | 1,330 |
| 90 | Fairport | 5,442 | 14.3% | $95,354 | 777 |
| 91 | Baldwinsville | 7,746 | 11.0% | $78,471 | 852 |
| 92 | Depew | 15,141 | 8.3% | $68,856 | 1,255 |
| 93 | Chestnut Ridge | 10,339 | 15.4% | $106,918 | 1,590 |
| 94 | Kenmore | 15,155 | 8.1% | $74,571 | 1,224 |
| 95 | Peekskill | 25,401 | 9.6% | $86,695 | 2,433 |
| 96 | Wappingers Falls | 5,775 | 5.9% | $61,554 | 340 |
| 97 | Airmont | 10,020 | 12.8% | $101,612 | 1,287 |
| 98 | Lancaster | 10,160 | 5.5% | $61,646 | 553 |
| 99 | Saratoga Springs | 28,505 | 10.1% | $97,241 | 2,867 |
| 100 | New Rochelle | 80,828 | 10.6% | $100,542 | 8,559 |