NEW YORK CITY · 2023
61.7%
Rent burden among households headed by adults age 65 or older.
Renter households headed by someone age 65 or older spending 30% or more of household income on gross rent.
Source 1 · New York State Comptroller ↗Grandma and Grandpa shouldn't have to worry about where they will sleep next month.
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THE NEED
Housing insecurity among older adults
Older adults in New York City experience substantial housing cost burdens. The evidence below examines rent burden, household income, and poverty, with statewide and national comparisons to place local conditions in context.
QUEENS · 2023
66%
Rent burden among older renter households in Queens.
Renter households headed by someone age 65 or older. Percentage rounded in the source.
Source 2 ↗NEW YORK CITY · 2023
21.5%
Poverty among adults age 65 or older.
New York City residents age 65 or older.
Source 2 ↗NEW YORK STATE · 2016–2020
43%
Housing insecurity among households with adults age 75 or older.
Households with at least one person age 75 or older, including renters and homeowners. The comparable national figure was 34%.
Source 3 ↗NEW YORK CITY: DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Population, household income, and rent burden.
Selected indicators describe the size of New York City's older adult population and differences in household income and rent burden. All figures in this table refer to 2023.
| Measure | Figure | Population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older adult population | Approximately 1.43 million | Residents age 65 or older | 1 |
| Rent burden, all renter households | 51.9% | All renter households, compared with 61.7% of older renter households | 1 |
| Median annual household income, older households | $46,359 | Households headed by someone age 65 or older | 2 |
| Median annual household income, all households | $76,577 | All households | 2 |
THE NATIONAL CONTEXT
National rental housing availability and severe cost burden.
The following figures describe extremely low-income renter households of all ages across the United States. They are not senior-specific. The March 2026 report uses 2024 survey data.
7.2 million
Affordable and available rental housing deficit
Shortage of homes that are both affordable and available to extremely low-income renter households.
35 per 100
Affordable and available rental homes
Affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households.
74%
Severe housing cost burden
Extremely low-income renter households spending more than half their income on rent and utilities.
Source 4 · National Low Income Housing Coalition · 2024 data, published March 2026 ↗
SOURCES & DEFINITIONS
Definitions, sources, and limitations.
Rent burden
The New York City report counts renter households spending 30% or more of household income on gross rent. Severe rent burden in the national report means spending more than 50% on rent and utilities.
Housing insecurity
The statewide measure includes housing cost burden, overcrowding, or incomplete kitchen or plumbing facilities. The source excludes households whose housing cost burden could not be calculated.
Extremely low income
In the national report, household income is at or below the federal poverty guideline or 30% of the local median income, whichever is higher.
Interpretation and limitations
These estimates describe different populations, geographies, and data periods and should not be pooled. Rent burden and housing insecurity are not measures of homelessness or imminent eviction. The figures do not measure Rent Rescue's program outcomes or establish the effect of rental assistance on eviction.
- Older Adults in New York City: Demographic and Service Trends ↗
New York State Comptroller · January 2025 · 2023 data. New York City population and rent-burden figures.
- More Older Adults Calling NYC Home Than Ever Before ↗
New York State Comptroller · January 16, 2025 · 2023 data. Queens rent burden, New York City poverty, and household incomes.
- New Yorkers in Need: The Housing Insecurity Crisis ↗
New York State Comptroller · February 2024 · 2016–2020 data, Figure 14. Housing insecurity among households with at least one person age 75 or older, statewide and nationally.
- The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes ↗
National Low Income Housing Coalition · March 2026 · 2024 American Community Survey data. National rental shortage, availability, and severe rent burden; all ages.
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Help eligible older adults in New York City meet their rental costs.