Even though New York is home to plenty of billionaires and millionaires, there are quite a few counties with high rates of people living in poverty. The wealth divide in New York State is disproportionate. According to the Chamber of Commerce,

2 of the richest states, New York and Alaska, have higher poverty rates than one would expect, indicating an above-average wealth inequality gap between the states’ richest and poorest citizens. New York, the 3rd richest state, is also marked by a poverty rate that’s high in relation to other variables: its rate of 11.8% is around the national average.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
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New York City has more millionaires that call it home than any other city in the world, according to Forbes,

With 107 billionaire residents, worth over $640 billion, The Big Apple is home to more three-comma club members than any other city on the planet.

There are 126 billionaires who live in New York State (as of 2021), according to Forbes.

New York State is the third richest state, behind only Connecticut and Massachusetts, according to the Chamber of Commerce.

Poverty seems to be getting worse, not just in New York, but all over the United States, according to the U.S. Census,

Median household income was $67,521 in 2020, a decrease of 2.9 percent from the 2019 median of $69,560. This is the first statistically significant decline in median household income since 2011.

The average three-year poverty rate for New York State from 2018 to 2020 was 11.8 percent, according to the Census. All of the counties in the top 10 have a poverty rate significantly higher than the state's rate. Of the 62 counties in New York State, these are the counties in New York with the top 10 poverty rates, according to data from 2020.

10. Chemung County

Chemung is located in the Southern Tier of Central New York State. It is often called the "Gateway to the Finger Lakes." The county has a poverty rate of 14.5 percent with 11,438 people living in poverty. The median household income of Chemung County is $54,705.

Many signs posted along roads in Chemung County refer to the area as "Mark Twain Country" because of the many years the author lived and wrote in Elmira.

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9. St. Lawrence County

St. Lawrence County has a poverty rate of 14.7 percent and 14,263 residents living in poverty. The median household income is $51,526.

Acco Corp. located its eastern North America distribution center in Ogdensburg, and the Cives Corp. distributes structural steel throughout the Northeastern US from its facility in the Village of Gouverneur.

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8.  Chautauqua County
Dunkirk and Jamestown are notable cities within the county. There are 17,909 residents, of all ages, in Chautauqua County who are living in poverty.   The poverty rate is 14.8 percent. The median household income is $50,062.

Today, the manufacturing sector provides the base for the county's economy with important and growing contributions from the retail, service, and tourism sectors. Farming continues to contribute to the county's economy, as well as the associated food processing industry.

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7. Allegany County
There are 6,238 people living in poverty in Allegany County, a poverty rate of 15.1 percent. The median household income is $53,371. The main industry in Allegany is education,

There are four higher education facilities including: Alfred University, Alfred State College, Houghton College and New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.

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6. Franklin County
Located in northern New York, near the Canadian border, 7,016 residents are living in poverty, a rate of 15.9 percent. The median household income is $58,709.

The Adirondacks, which were once a barrier to settlement, began to serve as a draw for tourists in the late 19th century, and now serve as one of Franklin County's defining features.

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5. Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County is located in the southwestern part of New York. There are 11,951 people living in poverty in the county, a rate of 16.3 percent. The median household income is $51,824.

Located in Western New York's scenic uplands, Cattaraugus County is a panorama of thriving communities, rolling farmlands, forests and picturesque waterways.

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5. New York County

New York County is the most densely populated county in the United States, more dense than any individual American city.

The poverty rate in New York County is 16.3 percent with 255,059 residents living in poverty. The median household income is $87,745.

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3. Kings County
The borough of Brooklyn is located within Kings County. There are 446,856 residents in Kings County living in poverty, a rate of 17.8 percent. It has a median household income of $70,390.

In recent years, Brooklyn has benefited from a steady influx of financial back-office operations from Manhattan, the rapid growth of a high-tech and entertainment economy in DUMBO, and strong growth in support services such as accounting, personal supply agencies, and computer services firms. ~ New York State

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2. Broome County
Binghampton is a notable city within the county. The main industries are agriculture and farming. There are 32,931 residents living in poverty, a rate of 18.4. The median household income is $52,510

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1. Bronx County
Home of the Borough of the Bronx, the county, has 333,670 residents living in poverty. Bronx County has a poverty rate of 24.4 percent. The median household income is $44,906.

Bronx County was the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated. Although the Bronx is the third most densely populated county in the U.S., about a quarter of its area is open space, including Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo.

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Data provided by the U.S Census Bureau.

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