NYC True Cost of Living 

In 2021, we released the previous Overlooked and Undercounted report which measured the economic security of New Yorkers before the onset of COVID-19. Two years later, utilizing the 2023 New York City True Cost of Living and the 2021 American Community Survey, we can now document the pandemic’s profound economic impact on New York City households.

In 2021, 36% of households did not have enough income to cover their basic needs, such as housing, food, health care, and transportation.

According to our latest findings, 50% of working age New Yorkers are struggling to cover their basic needs

Read the 2023 report

Read the 2024 Policy Brief

United Way of New York City and The Fund for the City of New York are proud to sponsor New York City True Cost of Living. 

What is the NYC True Cost of Living?

FAQS

Can you explain the methodology behind the report? 

Please visit page 62 of the New York State Self-Sufficiency Standard report for a complete methodological overview. 

What data sources does the report refer to? 

The primary data sources are: 

  • The American Community Survey, produced by the U.S. Census Bureau 
  • The New York State Child Care Market Rate Survey, produced by the New York State 
  • Office of Children and Family Services 
  • Fiscal Year (FY) Fair Market Rents (FMRs) data, produced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 

Please reference the report for an overview of 2023 data sources. 

What is the difference between the NYC True Cost of Living and the Official Poverty Measure and Supplemental Poverty Measure? 

For more information, please refer to Measuring Poverty and the True Cost of Living in the U.S.. 

Why are Manhattan and Brooklyn each divided into two geographic areas?
The Brooklyn and Manhattan divisions are based on differences in the cost of housing. 

  • The 2017 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey median gross rents for sub-boroughs within Manhattan were used to adjust housing costs for what is referred to as “North Manhattan” and “South Manhattan” in the report. Note that these areas do not necessarily align with the commonly understood geographic boundaries of Lower and Upper Manhattan. The two areas were determined by grouping together sub-boroughs with similar housing costs. The traditional border of 14th Street for Lower Manhattan left out high housing cost areas such as Chelsea, Clinton, Turtle Bay, and the Upper East and Upper West Side. 
  • The geographic area of North Manhattan for the purposes of this report includes the following sub-boroughs: Morningside Heights/Hamilton Heights, Central Harlem, East Harlem, and Washington Heights/Inwood. The sub-boroughs included in the geographic area of South Manhattan are: Greenwich Village/ Financial District, Lower East Side/ Chinatown, Chelsea/Clinton/Midtown, Stuyvesant Town/Turtle Bay, Upper West Side, and Upper East Side. 
  • Northwest Brooklyn includes the following sub-boroughs: Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn Heights/Fort Greene, and Park Slope/Carroll Gardens. The sub-boroughs included in the remainder of Brooklyn include: Brownsville/Ocean Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York/Starrett City, Coney Island, North Crown Heights/Prospect Heights, Flatlands/Canarsie, East Flatbush, South Crown Heights, Sheepshead Bay/Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bushwick, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Borough Park, and Flatbush. 

After the Self-Sufficiency Standards are calculated for these areas, the Standard is assigned to each Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA). 

Who can I contact to learn more?
Please reach out to contactus@uwnyc.org

Policy Brief

The NYC True Cost of Living Policy Brief highlights actionable strategies for addressing the critical economic challenges faced by New Yorkers. It synthesizes the shared knowledge of our partner coalition and our dedication towards creating a more equitable city, offering concrete recommendations to enhance income stability and reduce living expenses for those we serve.

Key Highlights:

  • Increasing Incomes: Robust strategies for improving wages and expanding access to quality employment, aiming to uplift all New Yorkers. 

 

  • Reducing Expenses: Targeted approaches to make housing, healthcare, and childcare more accessible and affordable, directly confronting the obstacles to financial well-being.

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT

Would you like to share information about the true cost of living in New York City on your social media platforms? Download the images below to share key statistics and findings from the 2023 NYC True Cost of Living Report. Use the hashtag #NYCTrueCost and follow @NYCTrueCost to participate in the conversation, share your true cost of living stories, and post photos and videos from your organization.   

IN THE NEWS

Why do we need the True Cost of Living Report?

Watch this mini-documentary from CNBC on poverty to discover how the Official Poverty Measure (OPM) has not been updated since it’s development in the 1960s. The OPM is used to measure poverty in all regions across the US, regardless of the differences in costs of living.

Hear from United Way of New York City’s President and CEO, Grace Bonilla, on the need for a better resource that accounts for the true cost of living in each region.  

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True Cost of Living NYC

True Cost of Living NYC

Our president & CEO Grace Bonilla sat down with BronxNet’s OPEN to discuss the 2023 NYC True Cost of Living report findings in a recent in-depth...

Report Launch Event

April 25

Ford Foundation, Center for Social Justice, 320 East 43rd St

watch the launch event

event gallery

PARTNERS

We thank our partners from the following organizations for providing report review and sharing their expertise.

Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development

Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York

City Harvest

City University of New York

Community Service Society of New York

CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute

Equity Advocates

Food Bank for New York City

FPWA

Human Services Council of New York Hunger Free America

KAVI (Kings Against Violence Initiative)

National Association of Social Workers-NYC Chapter

New York City Employment and Training Coalition

New York Coalition for Asian American Mental Health

New York Common Pantry

Part of the Solution (POTS)

PowHer New York

Precious First Step Child Development Center Inc.

Teachers College, Columbia University

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York UJA-Federation of New York

Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation