Families across the United States are facing an unprecedented affordability crisis. The costs of child care, housing, food, and other necessities continue to rise, causing financial strain, particularly for low- and middle-income families and those with young children. Making matters worse, federal cuts to support programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and health insurance premium tax credits have weakened the social safety net when people need it most.   

High costs of living also contribute to persistent child poverty, with New York home to three of the ten U.S. cities with the highest child poverty rates. These rising costs are driving many families to leave New York in search of more affordable living conditions. New York’s Fiscal Policy Institute found that families with young children were 40% more likely to move out of the state, and over a third of those families left in search of affordable housing.   

Ways to Measure Household Poverty  

Families may fall into poverty for a number of reasons, including illness, the birth of a child, or the loss of a job or home. When many people hear the term “poverty,” they think of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) – a narrow measure based only on the cost of food, which is used to determine eligibility for various benefits programs. In 2025, the FPL for a family of four is $32,150 in all states except Alaska and Hawai’i. Earning slightly more than the FPL does not suddenly mean a family is not experiencing financial hardship, however.  

To better measure the economic realities for families, United Way developed the ALICE measure. ALICE stands for “Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed.” It was created to more accurately measure the experiences of working households that earn above the FPL but below the basic cost of living. Nearly half of New York households (48%) earned below the ALICE threshold in 2023. To determine ALICE status, United Way uses a county-specific “household survival budget” reflecting the minimum costs of household necessities. In New York, a family of four with two children in child care would need to earn $104,472 to meet their basic needs comfortably. This is over $70,000 higher than the Federal Poverty Level, highlighting that the current affordability crisis is impacting families across the income spectrum.   

Family Affordability at a Glance in NYS  

The Children’s Agenda recently produced fact sheets examining key affordability indicators, including income, child care costs, housing costs, and participation in benefits programs, for each of New York’s 62 counties.  

Across the state: 

• Median annual income is $84,578 compared to the $104,472 a family of four needs to meet their basic needs
• Median monthly cost for one toddler in child care is $1,199 for center-based and $949 for home-based care
• Only 15% of eligible families participate in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program
• On average, families pay $1,133 in monthly rent, and 52% of households are considered rent-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income on housing
• 42% of children in New York are covered by Medicaid or Child Health Plus
• 23% of households receive SNAP (food stamps) benefits  

At a county level, median income ranges from $49,036 in Bronx County to $143,408 in Nassau County. Rents are highest downstate, averaging over $2,000 per month in Nassau, Suffolk, and New York counties. Upstate, rents in Tompkins, Saratoga, and Ulster counties all top the list with monthly averages over $1,300. At least 40% of households are rent-burdened in every county across the state, and the number rises as high as 60% in Tompkins, Bronx, and Rockland counties.   

While these affordability indicators vary by county, it is clear that families across the state are struggling to afford the goods and services they need to thrive.   

Policy Solutions  

Addressing these affordability challenges requires bold, family-centered policies that ease cost burdens and promote economic stability. New York took an important step in 2021 with the Child Poverty Reduction Act. This legislation committed the State to cutting child poverty in half in ten years and established the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council to guide New York towards that goal. In 2024, the Council released its recommendations for achieving bold poverty reduction, including expanding the state child tax credit, providing additional housing assistance, raising public assistance levels, and creating a state food benefit for families ineligible for SNAP.   

In 2025, New York took several important steps to address affordability for families. Significant improvements were made to the state’s child tax credit, the universal school meals program was expanded to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students, and a pilot housing voucher program was introduced. In the face of federal cuts, New York will need to double down on these efforts in 2026 and beyond.  

To learn more about affordability in your county, please visit County Level Research and Fact Sheets – The Children’s Agenda  

For a complete collection of Family Affordability at a Glance fact sheets, please visit FINAL 2025 – County Affordability Fact Sheets  

Shannon Mullin is Senior Policy Analyst with The Children’s Agenda.