Mamdani Warns One in Four New Yorkers Live in Poverty
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned that one in four residents live in poverty, highlighting an affordability crisis reflected in research showing that millions of New Yorkers were living below the poverty line in 2024.
During an appearance on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast, Mamdani contrasted the city’s wealth with residents’ financial difficulties, according to Muslim Network TV. “A lot of people love this city, but not as many of them can live here,” he said.
Mamdani, who moved to New York at age seven, said his personal attachment to the city helped motivate his entry into politics. He also criticised previous administrations for treating persistent problems as beyond their control.
A March 2026 report from Robin Hood and Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy found that the city’s poverty rate reached 26% in 2024, the highest level since the Poverty Tracker began collecting data more than a decade earlier.
The research counted 2.2 million residents living in poverty, including nearly 450,000 children. It also found that government assistance and tax credits kept more than 850,000 New Yorkers above the poverty line.
A separate municipal analysis, released on 6 April, found that 62% of residents lacked sufficient resources to meet the city’s true cost of living.
This broader affordability measure accounts for essential expenses beyond the official poverty threshold.
Mamdani argued that city leadership carries responsibility for addressing these pressures rather than accepting them as unavoidable. “The thing about being the mayor is, yeah, it’s tough, but also you actually have tools that you can use to help people, to make people’s lives better,” he said.
His administration has also released a preliminary citywide racial equity plan intended to address disparities in access to housing, healthcare, employment and other essential services.
New York City Economic Stress Metrics
| Metric / Parameter | Reported Value | Previous Period / Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Official poverty rate | 26% in 2024 | — |
| Residents below poverty line | 2.2 million | — |
| Unable to meet true living costs | 62% | — |