Median household income is a gauge of overall economic health of the region and the financial resources of households. Examining income for different racial and ethnic groups is important as a measure of inequity.

In 2016-20, median incomes in Westchester County were highest among Asian and white residents, at $137,800 and $115,900, respectively, and lowest among Hispanic and African American residents, at $69,100 and $64,100, respectively. All groups saw increases in median income from 2000 to 2016-20 after adjusting for inflation, with the highest increase among Hispanic earners (8%), followed by African Americans (5%).

Though Westchester's incomes in all groups were higher than the state and national levels, racial disparities were also higher due to the significantly larger incomes for whites. For example, African American incomes in Westchester were 55% of white incomes for the state and nation they were 63-64%. The median income for African Americans in Westchester County was significantly lower than those in Putnam ($119,700), Nassau ($105,300), and Rockland ($81,300). Among Hispanics, Westchester was on par with Rockland at $69,200, and below Nassau at $95,900, and Putnam at $93,000.

Incomes were lower for all groups in Yonkers: $100,000 for Asians, $76,200 for whites, $59,000 for African Americans, $55,200 for Hispanics.

These large and persistent disparities in income are the result of historic and current policies and practices that disadvantaged people of color. Research has connected slavery and the inability of black Americans (even after emancipation) to fully participate in economic life to the wealth and income gaps still present today. Structural racism perpetuated by policies and practices that systematically disadvantage African American and Latino communities include inequitable education, low wages, job and wage discrimination, lack of access to capital, and globalization. Even when a recovery from the current economic crisis occurs, it is not expected to make up for the pre-existing racial disparities experienced over time unless policies are enacted to address these gaps.

The multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census.