Westchester County, NY, home to some of the wealthiest families in the nation, is also home to some of the poorest. Westchester has the 13th highest median family income of any county and boasts 10 of our nation’s wealthiest communities. However, according to the Westchester Children’s Association, nearly 26% of Westchester children and young adults live in poor or low-income homes, with poverty heavily clustered in communities of color.  

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Poverty is more acute among children in Black, Brown, and mixed race families. According to the Westchester Children's Association, Black and Hispanic children are six more likely to live in a low-income home compared to their white peers and their poverty level is two times the level of all children collectively.  

 

County-wide 32% of Westchester school children qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That number is starkly higher in communities such as Mt. Vernon, Port Chester, and Yonkers where the number approaches 7 in 10 children. In Mt. Vernon and Port Chester, 70% or more of the population are people of color, more than 15% higher than the county-wide average.

 

Approximately one-third of all households spend at least 35% of their income on housing, and in some low-income communities, the vast majority of residents spend more than 30% of their income on rent.  In such circumstances, families have fewer resources making new clothing and new school supplies a luxury they cannot afford.