Poverty and living standards in Syracuse, New York: official figures
28.8% of residents of Syracuse (37,289 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 15th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; New York: 14.0%).
How many children live in poverty in Syracuse?
44.0% of children under 18 in Syracuse lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (12,918 children), 7th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; New York: 18.3%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for older people in Syracuse?
By age, the poverty rate in Syracuse was 43.0% for children under 6 and 20.5% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Syracuse live in deep poverty?
20,670 people in Syracuse, 16.0% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 21st highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in Syracuse are cost-burdened?
55.4% of renting households in Syracuse spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (18,100 households), 305th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; New York: 52.1%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in Syracuse spend half their income on rent?
34.1% of renting households in Syracuse spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 74th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Syracuse are food insecure?
An estimated 29.0% of adults in Syracuse experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 52nd highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 23.4% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow Syracuse compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Syracuse ranks 15 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | College Station | 29.2% |
| 13 | Muncie | 29.2% |
| 14 | Port Arthur | 29.0% |
| 15 | Syracuse | 28.8% |
| 16 | Reading | 28.7% |
| 17 | Jackson | 27.9% |
| 18 | Rochester | 27.8% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Syracuse ranks 7 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Detroit | 46.5% |
| 5 | Cleveland | 44.9% |
| 6 | Harrisburg | 44.0% |
| 7 | Syracuse | 44.0% |
| 8 | New Brunswick | 43.5% |
| 9 | Rochester | 41.3% |
| 10 | Jackson | 40.9% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
Syracuse ranks 21 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Stillwater | 16.2% |
| 19 | Valdosta | 16.0% |
| 20 | Greenville | 16.0% |
| 21 | Syracuse | 16.0% |
| 22 | Corvallis | 15.5% |
| 23 | Iowa City | 15.4% |
| 24 | Tuscaloosa | 15.2% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
Syracuse ranks 305 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 302 | North Charleston | 55.4% |
| 303 | Tucson | 55.4% |
| 304 | Gardena | 55.4% |
| 305 | Syracuse | 55.4% |
| 306 | Everett | 55.3% |
| 307 | Mount Pleasant | 55.3% |
| 308 | New Britain | 55.2% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
Syracuse ranks 52 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | Salinas | 29.5% |
| 50 | Baldwin Park | 29.3% |
| 51 | Utica | 29.3% |
| 52 | Syracuse | 29.0% |
| 53 | Hammond | 29.0% |
| 54 | Rialto | 28.9% |
| 55 | Milwaukee | 28.8% |
More on Syracuse: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)
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