Residents below poverty · 2020–2024 [2]
02 / Neighborhood Conditions
Place, housing & health
Explore how poverty, housing costs, environmental conditions, and childhood neighborhoods shape the questions this research asks.
01 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Poverty rate and child poverty
The paper reports 37,289 residents below poverty out of 129,544 whose poverty status was determined, or 28.8%. Among children under 18, the corresponding rate is 44.0%. [2]
Child poverty warrants attention because children depend on household resources for everyday needs. These measures identify the scale of hardship; they do not establish how a particular policy, school, or employer caused it. The draft uses several inconsistent national rates, so a national comparison is withheld until the same measure and period are aligned.
Paper transcription
Poverty rate and child poverty [2]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
Different populations: 129,544 residents overall; 29,386 children. Estimates exclude people for whom poverty status is not determined. The paper reports 37,289 residents and 12,918 children below poverty. Margins of error were not retained. [2]
Research manuscript, pp. 6, 30 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Below the poverty line |
|---|---|
| All residents with poverty status determined | 28.8% |
| Children under age 18 | 44% |
02 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Neighborhood poverty
The citywide average can conceal differences between small areas. The source’s interactive map lets readers inspect census tracts and change the demographic group. CNYVitals identifies tract 42 as having the largest count of residents below poverty in its 2024 display, at 2,042. [14]
A tract with more people below poverty does not necessarily have a higher poverty rate: larger tracts can have larger counts. Use the map’s label and legend carefully. Census tracts are statistical areas, and their boundaries do not always match familiar neighborhood names.
Residents below the poverty line · 2024 ACS release. This map shows counts, not poverty rates. Use the map’s controls to inspect census tracts.
Interactive map provided by CNYVitals. Internet access is required; if it does not load, use “Open full source map.” Its data and controls are maintained by the source. [14] [15]
03 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Housing cost burden
The draft reports that 46.0% of renter households with a computed rent-to-income ratio spent at least 35% of income on gross rent. Adding the 30%–34.9% group brings the share spending at least 30% to 55.3%. [4]
A large housing bill can leave less room for food, transportation, and other expenses. This statistic measures a share of income, so it is different from the dollar amount of rent. Households without a computable ratio are not included in its denominator.
Paper transcription
Gross rent as a share of household income [4]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
32,700 renter households with a computed ratio. The last two categories total 55.3% spending at least 30% of income on gross rent. The 46.0% figure is not the share spending at least 50%. Gross rent includes contract rent and applicable utility costs. [4]
Research manuscript, pp. 10, 32 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Share of households with a computed rent-to-income ratio |
|---|---|
| Less than 15% | 12.7% |
| 15%–19.9% | 12.6% |
| 20%–24.9% | 9.8% |
| 25%–29.9% | 9.6% |
| 30%–34.9% | 9.3% |
| 35% or more | 46% |
Paper transcription
Monthly gross rent [4]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
34,001 renter households paying cash rent. Median gross rent: $1,039 per month. Rounded percentages may not total 100%. A citywide median is not the rent of every household. [4]
Research manuscript, p. 9 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Share of renter households paying cash rent |
|---|---|
| Below $500 | 10.9% |
| $500–$999 | 35.2% |
| $1,000–$1,499 | 36.3% |
| $1,500–$1,999 | 11.9% |
| $2,000–$2,499 | 3.1% |
| $2,500–$2,999 | 1.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 1.4% |
04 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Homeownership and occupancy
The occupied housing stock includes 24,889 owner-occupied and 34,927 renter-occupied units. Renters account for approximately 58.4% of occupied units. The paper’s separate 34,001 figure describes renter units paying cash rent. [4] [6]
Homeownership can create an opportunity to build equity, but a home’s value is not the same as an owner’s net wealth. Mortgage debt, maintenance costs, and changes in value matter. Renting also includes a wide range of household circumstances.
Source checked
Homeownership and rental housing [4]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
59,816 occupied units. Owners account for 41.6% and renters for 58.4%. The draft’s 34,001 is the number of renter units paying cash rent, not all renter units. Counts were checked against CNYVitals and the QuickFacts ownership share. [4]
Research manuscript, pp. 9–10, 15, 32 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Occupied housing units |
|---|---|
| Owner-occupied | 24,889 |
| Renter-occupied | 34,927 |
Source checked
Occupied and vacant housing [4]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
67,601 housing units; approximately 11.5% vacant. This overall vacancy share is different from the homeowner vacancy rate (2.1%) and rental vacancy rate (5.0%) reported in the paper. [4]
Research manuscript, pp. 9, 15 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Housing units |
|---|---|
| Occupied | 59,816 |
| Vacant | 7,785 |
05 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Median house value and owner costs
The median value of owner-occupied housing is $138,400. The value distribution adds detail about the housing stock around that midpoint. [1] [4]
The paper also records monthly owner costs with and without a mortgage. Those costs should be considered separately from gross rent because the populations and expense definitions differ. The grouped chart preserves the original counts while showing how costs differ by mortgage status.
Paper transcription
Value of owner-occupied homes [4]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
24,889 owner-occupied units. Median value: $138,400. This is an estimate of owner-reported housing value, not a median sale price or a measure of owners’ net equity. [4]
Research manuscript, pp. 10, 32 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Share of owner-occupied units |
|---|---|
| Below $50,000 | 5.6% |
| $50,000–$99,999 | 26.4% |
| $100,000–$149,999 | 23.1% |
| $150,000–$199,999 | 20.9% |
| $200,000–$299,999 | 14.7% |
| $300,000–$499,999 | 6.5% |
| $500,000–$999,999 | 2.1% |
| $1 million or more | 0.7% |
Paper transcription
Monthly owner costs by mortgage status [4]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
Grouped from the paper’s finer cost brackets: 15,028 owners with a mortgage and 9,861 without. Owner costs are not gross rent; these measures cover different households and different expenses. [4]
Research manuscript, pp. 8–9 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | With a mortgage | Without a mortgage |
|---|---|---|
| Below $1,000 | 4,098 | 8,960 |
| $1,000 or more | 10,930 | 901 |
06 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Opportunity Atlas: household income at age 35
The paper records broad income ranges while exploring the Opportunity Atlas, including $26,000–$44,000 for parts of the Westside and $35,000–$57,000 around Syracuse University. These are exploratory notes, not verified averages for official neighborhood boundaries. [7]
The Atlas follows people according to where they grew up, even if they moved away. Because the paper does not record the parent-income filter, cohort, race, gender, dollar year, and exact tracts, the ranges are shown with a clear limitation instead of being assigned to a map. [20]
Settings incomplete
Household income in adulthood: ranges noted in the paper [7]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
Exploratory only. Parent-income filter, race, gender, cohort, dollar year, and tract list were not recorded. These are observed ranges, not area averages, current residents’ earnings, or verified neighborhood rankings. Do not use them to color a geographic map. [7]
Research manuscript, pp. 28, 35 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Lower endpoint | Upper endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Westside | $26,000 | $44,000 |
| Southside | $19,000 | $30,000 |
| Downtown (approximate point) | $29,000 | $29,000 |
| Northside / Destiny area | $28,000 | $36,000 |
| Syracuse University area | $35,000 | $57,000 |
07 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Opportunity Atlas: individual income at age 35
Individual income and household income answer different questions. A household measure can include a spouse’s earnings, while an individual measure concerns the person’s own income. The paper records the ranges below for broad areas. [7]
A nearby university or commercial center may be relevant to a research hypothesis, but these observations cannot establish that local employers caused the adult outcomes. Reproducing the Atlas settings is necessary before making a stronger geographic comparison. [20]
Settings incomplete
Individual income in adulthood: ranges noted in the paper [7]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
The Atlas follows people by where they grew up, even if they later moved. These figures cannot establish that nearby employers caused the observed outcomes. Reproduce the filters before treating the ranges as a verified comparison. [7]
Research manuscript, pp. 28, 35–36 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Lower endpoint | Upper endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Westside | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Southside | $15,000 | $27,000 |
| Eastside | $20,000 | $35,000 |
| Destiny area (approximate point) | $27,000 | $27,000 |
08 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Opportunity Atlas: reaching the top 20%
The paper describes many areas as being around or below an 11% probability of reaching the national top fifth of household incomes. The underlying filters and tract values were not retained, so that observation is not presented as a verified map or citywide statistic. [7]
This remains a useful research question: does the probability of upward mobility differ across childhood neighborhoods under the same starting-income assumptions? The Atlas can explore that question when its filters are recorded consistently. [20]
Explore the original Opportunity Atlas →09 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Health and lead exposure
The verified 2025 CNYVitals export reports elevated blood lead levels for 16.9% of children in tract 6, 19.7% in tract 14, and 11.2% in tract 39 under its indicator definition. The source profile reports a citywide figure of 9.05%. [15]
The source uses a threshold of 5 µg/dL or higher. These selected tracts are examples from the paper, not a full ranking. The downloaded table does not supply tested-child denominators. Geographic overlap with poverty can motivate further study but does not establish that poverty, race, or housing conditions caused a particular child’s exposure.
Source checked
Open the interactive lead map →Elevated blood lead levels in selected census tracts [15]
Data is available in the table below. Enable JavaScript to use the interactive chart.
CNYVitals uses a threshold of 5 µg/dL or higher for this indicator. Selected tracts are those discussed in the paper, not a complete ranking. The city figure on the source profile is 9.05%; the export does not include the tested-child denominator. [15]
Research manuscript, pp. 18, 36 · Reviewed 30 September 2026
View accessible data table
| Category | Children with elevated blood lead levels |
|---|---|
| Census tract 6 | 16.9% |
| Census tract 14 | 19.7% |
| Census tract 39 | 11.2% |
10 / EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Other health context
CNYVitals reports 5.7 age-adjusted mentally unhealthy days in the past 30 days for Onondaga County. This is a county measure, not an estimate for Syracuse city, and the draft does not record its data-collection year. [16]
The asthma section requires a correction: the source describes hospitalizations per 10,000 children ages 0–17 in 2016, while its headline uses an inconsistent percent sign. The draft’s statement that 10% of children were hospitalized is therefore not reproduced as a verified statistic. [17]