In 2023, about 14.2 percent of New York's population lived below the poverty line. This accounts for persons or families whose collective income in the preceding 12 months was below the national poverty level of the United States. The poverty rate of the United States can be found here.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for New York (PPAANY36000A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about NY, child, poverty, percent, and USA.

In 2024, the median household income in the United States was 83,730 U.S. dollars. This reflected an increase from the previous year. Household income The median household income depicts the income of households, including the income of the householder and all other individuals aged 15 years or over living in the household. Income includes wages and salaries, unemployment insurance, disability payments, child support payments received, regular rental receipts, as well as any personal business, investment, or other kinds of income received routinely. The median household income in the United States varied from state to state. In 2024, Massachusetts recorded the highest median household income in the country, at 113,900 U.S. dollars. On the other hand, Mississippi, recorded the lowest, at 55,980 U.S. dollars.Household income is also used to determine the poverty rate in the United States. In 2024, 10.6 percent of the U.S. population was living below the national poverty line. This was the lowest level since 2019. Similarly, the child poverty rate, which represents people under the age of 18 living in poverty, reached a three-decade low of 14.3 percent of the children. The state with the widest gap between the rich and the poor was New York, with a Gini coefficient score of 0.52 in 2024. The Gini coefficient is calculated by looking at average income rates. A score of zero would reflect perfect income equality, while a score of one indicates complete inequality.

Inequality remains woven into America’s economic fabric, fuelling public debate and shaping politics. In 2024, the richest fifth of U.S. households captured more than half of national income, while the poorest secured a just 3.1 percent. This stark contrast highlights the concentration of wealth among high-income households. Measuring income inequality The Gini coefficient, a standard measure of income inequality, has steadily risen over the past three decades. In 1990, the Gini coefficient for households in the United States stood at 0.43, but by 2024 it had increased to 0.49. This upward trend indicates a growing gap between the rich and poor. Among state, the District of Columbia and New York exhibited the greatest income inequality. Utah, on the other hand, recorded the smallest wealth gap. Income inequality across demographics Income disparities are also drawn along ethnic and racial lines. In 2024, Asian households in the United States had the highest median annual income, followed by White households. Black Americans and American Indian and Alaska Native families had comparatively lower household incomes. The overall median income for U.S. households reached nearly 84,000 U.S. dollars that year. These figures highlight the persistent economic gaps among various racial and ethnic groups in America.

In 2024, New York was the state with the greatest gap between rich and poor, with a Gini coefficient score of just under 0.52. Although not a state, District of Columbia was among the highest Gini coefficients in the United States that year. On the other hand, Utah had the lowest Gini score among U.S. states. Overall, income inequality has been rising in the country over recent decades.

This dataset supports the manuscript Lawful Handgun Licensing, Population Density, Poverty, Police Staffing, and Violent Crime: A Two-Cohort Comparison of U.S. Jurisdictions (2023–2024). It contains processed violent crime counts, rates per 100,000, population denominators, poverty statistics, and police staffing levels for two cohorts of U.S. jurisdictions. Cohort A includes counties with high levels of licensed handgun ownership (Brevard FL, Macomb MI, Genesee MI, Sumner TN, Sullivan TN, Pierce WA). Cohort B includes restrictive licensing jurisdictions (New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston). The package includes: County/city-level violent crime counts for homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault (2023–2024). Population denominators (2024 Census estimates). Derived violent crime rates per 100,000. Poverty measures and law enforcement officer staffing rates. Python replication script to regenerate tables and figures used in the study. Accessed data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Major Cities Chiefs Association, NYPD annual tables, FDLE FIBRS, Michigan MICR, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, and U.S. Census QuickFacts. Data pulled on August 27, 28, and 30, 2025.