New York Class Index
Estimated annual family income corresponding to a middle-class lifestyle in NYC: $75,000-$135,000
Estimated annual individual income corresponding to a middle-class lifestyle in Manhattan: $45,000
Estimated annual individual income corresponding to a middle-class lifestyle in Queens: $32,000
Per capita income in NYC: $41,803
Per capita income in the Bronx: $23,513
Per capita income in Queens: $31,912
Per capita income in Brooklyn: $28,462
Per capita income in Manhattan: $93,377
Manhattan’s rank among U.S. counties: 1
Percentage of New York families with an income falling within 20% of the city median income: 16
Major American urban areas with a smaller percentage of middle-class residents than New York: 0
Median income of a white Manhattan family with a child under 5: $284,208
Median income of a black Manhattan family with a child under 5: $31,171
Median income of a Latino Manhattan family with a child under 5: $25,467
Minimum number of years since Manhattan’s population of white children under 5 has outnumbered its population of black or Latino children under 5: 40
Average income of wage-earners in the uppermost fifth of Manhattan earners, as of 1990 census: $174,486
Average income of wage-earners in the uppermost fifth of Manhattan earners, as of 2000 census: $365,826
Increase: $191,340 (110%)
Average income of wage-earners in the lowermost fifth of Manhattan earners, as of 1990 census: $5,435
Average income of wage-earners in the lowermost fifth of Manhattan earners, as of 2000 census: $7,054
Increase: $1,619 (30%)
Median price of a Manhattan apartment, as of 2007’s final quarter: $850,000
Percent increase since 2006’s final quarter: 6.4
Mean price of a Manhattan apartment, as of 2007’s final quarter: $1,439,909
Percent increase since 2006’s final quarter: 17.6
Mean monthly rent for a non-doorman studio apartment in Manhattan’s most inexpensive neighborhood, Harlem, in February 2008: $1,185
Mean monthly rent for a non-doorman studio apartment in Manhattan’s most expensive neighborhood, Tribeca, in February 2008: $2,735
Percentage of New York households in 2005 spending more than 30% of their income (the threshold of affordability according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development) on housing: 36
Percentage of New York households spending more than 50% of their income on housing: 19.9
Percentage of low-income NYC households spending more than 30% of their income on housing: 38.9
Percentage of low-income NYC households spending more than 50% of their income on housing: 62.6
National rank: 1
NYC households out of 5 earning $32,000 or less per year: 2
Percent decline, between 2002 and 2005, in NYC housing affordable to households earning $32,000 per year: 17
Percent increase, over same time frame, of unsubsidized apartments renting for between $1,000 and $1,200 per month: 34
Percent increase of unsubsidized apartments renting for between $1,200 and $1,400 per month: 52
Percent increase of unsubsidized apartments renting for above $1,400 per month: 31
*Sources:
1-2. Drum Major Institute for Public Policy survey published in April 2007: http://www.drummajorinstitute.org/pdfs/Saving%20Our%20Middle%20Class.pdf
3. Council for Community and Economic Research cost of living calculator: http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html
4-9. Gotham Gazette on changing income trends http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/economy/20070621/21/2209
Additional data at http://www.bea.gov/regional/reis/scb.cfm
10-11. The Brookings Institution
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2006/0708metropolitanpolicy_berube.aspx
12-15. New York Times on Toddler Trends http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/23/nyregion/23kid.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
16-21. New York Times article on income disparity drawn from census data http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/SamRoberts4Sep05.htm
22-25. New York Times on apartment prices at the end of 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/realestate/03real.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin
26-27. The Real Estate Group’s monthly report on the Manhattan rental market http://www.tregny.com/manhattan-apt-rental-report.jsp
28-32. Gotham Gazette on number of New Yorkers living in unaffordable housing http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/demographics/20051004/5/1608
33-37. New York Times on housing trends http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/16/nyregion/16housing.html?pagewanted=print
Estimated annual individual income corresponding to a middle-class lifestyle in Manhattan: $45,000
Estimated annual individual income corresponding to a middle-class lifestyle in Queens: $32,000
Per capita income in NYC: $41,803
Per capita income in the Bronx: $23,513
Per capita income in Queens: $31,912
Per capita income in Brooklyn: $28,462
Per capita income in Manhattan: $93,377
Manhattan’s rank among U.S. counties: 1
Percentage of New York families with an income falling within 20% of the city median income: 16
Major American urban areas with a smaller percentage of middle-class residents than New York: 0
Median income of a white Manhattan family with a child under 5: $284,208
Median income of a black Manhattan family with a child under 5: $31,171
Median income of a Latino Manhattan family with a child under 5: $25,467
Minimum number of years since Manhattan’s population of white children under 5 has outnumbered its population of black or Latino children under 5: 40
Average income of wage-earners in the uppermost fifth of Manhattan earners, as of 1990 census: $174,486
Average income of wage-earners in the uppermost fifth of Manhattan earners, as of 2000 census: $365,826
Increase: $191,340 (110%)
Average income of wage-earners in the lowermost fifth of Manhattan earners, as of 1990 census: $5,435
Average income of wage-earners in the lowermost fifth of Manhattan earners, as of 2000 census: $7,054
Increase: $1,619 (30%)
Median price of a Manhattan apartment, as of 2007’s final quarter: $850,000
Percent increase since 2006’s final quarter: 6.4
Mean price of a Manhattan apartment, as of 2007’s final quarter: $1,439,909
Percent increase since 2006’s final quarter: 17.6
Mean monthly rent for a non-doorman studio apartment in Manhattan’s most inexpensive neighborhood, Harlem, in February 2008: $1,185
Mean monthly rent for a non-doorman studio apartment in Manhattan’s most expensive neighborhood, Tribeca, in February 2008: $2,735
Percentage of New York households in 2005 spending more than 30% of their income (the threshold of affordability according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development) on housing: 36
Percentage of New York households spending more than 50% of their income on housing: 19.9
Percentage of low-income NYC households spending more than 30% of their income on housing: 38.9
Percentage of low-income NYC households spending more than 50% of their income on housing: 62.6
National rank: 1
NYC households out of 5 earning $32,000 or less per year: 2
Percent decline, between 2002 and 2005, in NYC housing affordable to households earning $32,000 per year: 17
Percent increase, over same time frame, of unsubsidized apartments renting for between $1,000 and $1,200 per month: 34
Percent increase of unsubsidized apartments renting for between $1,200 and $1,400 per month: 52
Percent increase of unsubsidized apartments renting for above $1,400 per month: 31
*Sources:
1-2. Drum Major Institute for Public Policy survey published in April 2007: http://www.drummajorinstitute.org/pdfs/Saving%20Our%20Middle%20Class.pdf
3. Council for Community and Economic Research cost of living calculator: http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html
4-9. Gotham Gazette on changing income trends http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/economy/20070621/21/2209
Additional data at http://www.bea.gov/regional/reis/scb.cfm
10-11. The Brookings Institution
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2006/0708metropolitanpolicy_berube.aspx
12-15. New York Times on Toddler Trends http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/23/nyregion/23kid.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
16-21. New York Times article on income disparity drawn from census data http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/SamRoberts4Sep05.htm
22-25. New York Times on apartment prices at the end of 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/realestate/03real.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin
26-27. The Real Estate Group’s monthly report on the Manhattan rental market http://www.tregny.com/manhattan-apt-rental-report.jsp
28-32. Gotham Gazette on number of New Yorkers living in unaffordable housing http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/demographics/20051004/5/1608
33-37. New York Times on housing trends http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/16/nyregion/16housing.html?pagewanted=print
