Decreasing
What does this measure?
The share of housing units with people paying 30% or more of their income in rent or ownership costs.
Why is this important?
The federal government considers 30% of income a threshold for affordable housing. People paying more than 30% are considered to be cost-burdened.
How is Westchester County performing?
In 2018-22, 38% of housing units in Westchester County were unaffordable, higher than both the national level of 31% and the state level of 37%. However, the county's rate has improved 7 percentage points from 45% in 2008-12.
Of comparison counties, Westchester had the second-highest unaffordability rate, behind Rockland at 42%, and slightly above Nassau (37%) and Putnam (35%). Highly unaffordable municipalities included Mount Vernon and Port Chester, both at 46%, and Ossining, 45%. Scarsdale had the lowest share of unaffordable housing units, at 25%.
Notes about the data
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. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census.
2008-12 | 2013-17 | 2018-22 | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westchester County | 45% | 41% | 38% | ||||||||||||||||
Nassau County | 45% | 40% | 37% | ||||||||||||||||
Putnam County | 42% | 38% | 35% | ||||||||||||||||
Rockland County | 45% | 45% | 42% | ||||||||||||||||
New York State | 41% | 39% | 37% | ||||||||||||||||
Mount Vernon | 55% | 52% | 46% | ||||||||||||||||
New Rochelle | 49% | 46% | 43% | ||||||||||||||||
Peekskill | 51% | 51% | 42% | ||||||||||||||||
Rye City | 33% | 33% | 26% | ||||||||||||||||
White Plains | 46% | 40% | 39% | ||||||||||||||||
Yonkers | 47% | 44% | 42% | ||||||||||||||||
Westchester County Towns | |||||||||||||||||||
Westchester County Villages |
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.
2008-12 | 2013-17 | 2018-22 | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westchester County | 154,937 | 142,025 | 140,690 | ||||||||||||||||
Nassau County | 200,310 | 178,536 | 166,107 | ||||||||||||||||
Putnam County | 14,906 | 13,076 | 12,235 | ||||||||||||||||
Rockland County | 44,743 | 44,990 | 43,544 | ||||||||||||||||
New York State | 2,989,004 | 2,859,941 | 2,807,038 | ||||||||||||||||
Mount Vernon | 14,153 | 13,079 | 13,115 | ||||||||||||||||
New Rochelle | 13,944 | 13,021 | 12,902 | ||||||||||||||||
Peekskill | 4,453 | 4,834 | 4,542 | ||||||||||||||||
Rye City | 1,849 | 1,794 | 1,520 | ||||||||||||||||
White Plains | 10,444 | 8,809 | 9,362 | ||||||||||||||||
Yonkers | 34,792 | 32,758 | 34,032 | ||||||||||||||||
Westchester County Towns | |||||||||||||||||||
Westchester County Villages |
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.