State of the City 2019
DEMOGRAPHICS
In 2018, there were about 160,871 people in Astoria, with 14.2% of the population identified as Asian, 8.2% identified as black, 24.4% identified as Hispanic, and 49.8% identified as white. Median household income in 2018 was $68,560, about 6% more than citywide median household income ($64,850). The poverty rate in Astoria was 13.9% in 2018 compared to 17.3% citywide.
HOUSING
Renters
Real median gross rent in Astoria increased from $1,290 in 2006 to $1,720 in 2018. In 2018, 22.9% of renter households in Astoria were severely rent burdened (spent more than 50% of household income on rent). 26.7% of the rental units are affordable at the 80% Area Median Income, 8 percentage points lower than the share in 2010. 13.6% of the rental units are public housing rental units in 2018. The overall rental vacancy rate in Astoria was 2.0%.
Homeowners
In 2018, the homeownership rate in Astoria was 20.2%, lower than the citywide share of 32.8%. The homeownership rate in the neighborhood has increased by 2.1 percentage points since 2010. In 2018, the home purchase loan rate was 15.5 per 1,000 properties (owner-occupied 1-4 family buildings, condominiums, or cooperative apartments) and the refinance loan rate was 8.3 per 1,000 properties in the neighborhood. 50 properties had a filing of mortgage foreclosure in Astoria in 2018. There were 3.0 mortgage foreclosure actions initiated per 1,000 1-4 family properties and condominium units.
Development
In 2019, there were 893 units authorized by new residential building permits, which is 17.1% of total new units in Queens, and 3.3% of the citywide total, in Astoria. Department of Buildings issued new certificates of occupancy to 972 residential units in new buildings in Astoria last year, 438 less than the number of units certified in 2018.
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AND CONDITIONS
In 2019, 59.2% of 4th grade students attending schools in Astoria performed at grade level in math, compared to 55.7% in Queens, and 49.4% citywide; 60.4% of Astoria 4th graders performed at grade level in English language arts, compared to 54.5% in Queens, and 49.6% citywide. The serious crime rate was 8.3 serious crimes per 1,000 residents in 2019, compared to 11.3 serious crimes per 1,000 residents citywide.
| Indicator | 2000 | 2006 | 2010 | 2018 | 2019 | Rank (2000) | Rank (18/19) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||||||
| Born in New York State | 42.3% | 40.5% | 42.7% | 39 | |||
| Disabled population | 5.8% | 5.8% | 36 | ||||
| Foreign-born population | 46.0% | 46.2% | 44.9% | 38.6% | 14 | 24 | |
| Population | 205,469 | 190,247 | 166,666 | 160,871 | |||
| Population aged 65+ | 10.9% | 11.9% | 11.7% | 13.3% | 30 | 32 | |
| Households | |||||||
| Households with children under 18 years old | 28.5% | 25.3% | 23.9% | 19.0% | 45 | 49 | |
| Single-person households | 34.8% | 32.8% | 36.3% | 11 | |||
| Race and Ethnicity | |||||||
| Percent Asian | 12.5% | 13.0% | 14.5% | 14.2% | 15 | 20 | |
| Percent Black | 10.4% | 6.7% | 6.9% | 8.2% | 32 | 32 | |
| Percent Hispanic | 27.5% | 31.3% | 29.2% | 24.4% | 21 | 25 | |
| Percent white | 41.9% | 45.8% | 46.6% | 49.8% | 20 | 14 | |
| Racial diversity index | 0.72 | 0.67 | 0.67 | 0.67 | 4 | 14 | |
| Income and Poverty | |||||||
| Income diversity ratio | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 31 | |||
| Median household income (2019$) | $57,620 | $53,080 | $53,730 | $68,560 | 28 | 22 | |
| Median household income, homeowners (2019$) | $67,550 | $70,410 | $80,860 | 42 | |||
| Median household income, renters (2019$) | $50,740 | $49,440 | $63,300 | 14 | |||
| Poverty rate | 20.3% | 17.2% | 19.0% | 13.9% | 25 | 33 | |
| Poverty rate, population aged 65+ | 21.1% | 13.3% | 19.2% | 30 | |||
| Poverty rate, population under 18 years old | 29.8% | 30.2% | 20.6% | 27 | |||
| Labor Market | |||||||
| Labor force participation rate | 65.9% | 69.3% | 70.4% | 8 | |||
| Population aged 25+ without a high school diploma | 22.2% | 19.4% | 11.8% | 45 | |||
| Unemployment rate | 7.82% | 10.12% | 13.00% | 4.42% | 34 | 41 | |
| Indicator | 2000 | 2006 | 2010 | 2018 | 2019 | Rank (2000) | Rank (18/19) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing Stock | |||||||
| Homeownership rate | 20.0% | 20.3% | 18.1% | 20.2% | 39 | 41 | |
| Housing units | 81,353 | 77,318 | 88,625 | 7 | |||
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.2% | 2.0% | 47 | ||||
| Serious housing code violations (per 1,000 privately owned rental units) | 16.0 | 10.7 | 13.0 | 22.7 | 52 | ||
| Severe crowding rate (% of renter households) | 3.3% | 2.8% | 41 | ||||
| Total housing code violations (per 1,000 privately owned rental units) | 105.4 | 65.5 | 82.1 | 87.4 | 51 | ||
| Finance - Distress | |||||||
| Notices of foreclosure rate (per 1,000 1-4 family and condo properties) | 2.6 | 4.5 | 14.2 | 3.0 | 46 | 46 | |
| Notices of foreclosure, all residential properties | 45 | 74 | 238 | 50 | 37 | 36 | |
| Notices of foreclosure, initial, 1-4 family and condo properties | 32 | 56 | 200 | 26 | 34 | 32 | |
| Notices of foreclosure, repeat, 1-4 family and condo properties | 6 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 43 | 35 | |
| Pre-foreclosure notice rate (per 1,000 1-4 family and condo properties) | 22.2 | 17.7 | 47 | ||||
| Pre-foreclosure notices, 1-4 family and condo properties | 353 | 281 | 31 | ||||
| Properties entering REO, 1-4 family | 5 | 1 | 5 | 28 | |||
| Finance - Lending | |||||||
| FHA/VA-backed home purchase loans (% of home purchase loans) | 0.0% | 22.0% | 0.0% | 42 | |||
| Higher-cost home purchase loans (% of home purchase loans) | 0.0% | 1.0% | |||||
| Higher-cost refinance loans (% of refinance loans) | 0.0% | 3.1% | |||||
| Home purchase loan rate (per 1,000 properties) | 31.4 | 16.9 | 15.5 | 40 | |||
| Home purchase loans in LMI tracts (% of home purchase loans) | 36.2% | 34.7% | 27.0% | 31 | |||
| Home purchase loans to LMI borrowers (% of home purchase loans) | 3.6% | 7.1% | 2.9% | 45 | |||
| Refinance loan rate (per 1,000 properties) | 27.2 | 12.5 | 8.3 | 37 | |||
| Sales - Volume | |||||||
| Sales volume, 1 family building | 93 | 108 | 43 | 68 | 28 | 28 | |
| Sales volume, 2-4 family building | 299 | 325 | 134 | 193 | 21 | 26 | |
| Sales volume, 5+ family building | 69 | 59 | 44 | 40 | 4 | 9 | |
| Sales volume, all property types | 497 | 656 | 353 | 423 | 27 | 35 | |
| Sales volume, condominium | 36 | 164 | 132 | 122 | 24 | 23 | |
| Sales - Median Prices | |||||||
| Median sales price per unit, 1 family building (2019$) | $374,850 | $694,330 | $624,840 | $850,000 | 20 | 26 | |
| Median sales price per unit, 2-4 family building (2019$) | $208,420 | $409,160 | $340,820 | $525,000 | 21 | 19 | |
| Median sales price per unit, 5+ family building (2019$) | $83,220 | $173,580 | $170,410 | $304,880 | 20 | 18 | |
| Median sales price per unit, condominium (2019$) | $204,290 | $410,140 | $403,310 | $572,500 | 31 | 28 | |
| Sales - Housing Price Index | |||||||
| Index of housing price appreciation, 1 family building | 100.0 | 238.5 | 189.5 | 319.3 | 1 | 17 | |
| Index of housing price appreciation, 2-4 family building | 100.0 | 240.6 | 208.3 | 379.6 | 1 | 15 | |
| Index of housing price appreciation, 5+ family building | 100.0 | 285.8 | 275.7 | 392.0 | 1 | 37 | |
| Index of housing price appreciation, all property types | 100.0 | 246.7 | 223.7 | 378.1 | 1 | 15 | |
| Index of housing price appreciation, condominium | 100.0 | 308.6 | 293.3 | 466.9 | 1 | 6 | |
| Subsidized Housing | |||||||
| Total number of subsidized properties (properties) | 61 | 31 | |||||
| HUD Financing or Insurance (properties) | 0 | 45 | |||||
| HUD Financing or Insurance (units) | 0 | 39 | |||||
| HUD Project-based Rental Assistance Program (properties) | 7 | 25 | |||||
| HUD Project-based Rental Assistance Program (units) | 655 | 27 | |||||
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit (properties) | 7 | 33 | |||||
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit (units) | 1,577 | 27 | |||||
| Public Housing (properties) | 12 | 18 | |||||
| Public Housing (units) | 7,584 | 10 | |||||
| Mitchell-Lama (properties) | 2 | 27 | |||||
| Mitchell-Lama (units) | 379 | 36 | |||||
| 421-a Tax Exemption (properties) | 232 | 2 | |||||
| 421-a Tax Exemption (units) | 4,976 | 5 | |||||
| 420-c Tax Exemption (properties) | 9 | 23 | |||||
| 420-c Tax Exemption (units) | 547 | 29 | |||||
| NYC Housing Production Programs and Zoning Incentives or Requirements (properties) | 24 | 30 | |||||
| Eligible to expire from housing programs between 2020 and 2025 (properties) | 2 | 34 | |||||
| Eligible to expire from housing programs between 2020 and 2025 (units) | 1,212 | 11 | |||||
| Eligible to expire from housing programs between 2026 and 2035 (properties) | 4 | 34 | |||||
| Eligible to expire from housing programs between 2026 and 2035 (units) | 344 | 36 | |||||
| Eligible to expire from housing programs in 2036 and later (properties) | 6 | 32 | |||||
| Eligible to expire from housing programs in 2036 and later (units) | 636 | 34 | |||||
| Indicator | 2000 | 2006 | 2010 | 2018 | 2019 | Rank (2000) | Rank (18/19) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | |||||||
| Population density (1,000 persons per square mile) | 36.9 | 32.3 | 31.2 | 37 | |||
| Development | |||||||
| Units authorized by new residential building permits | 242 | 819 | 360 | 1,097 | 893 | 17 | 6 |
| Units issued new certificates of occupancy | 193 | 397 | 749 | 1,410 | 972 | 18 | 7 |
| Indicator | 2000 | 2006 | 2010 | 2018 | 2019 | Rank (2000) | Rank (18/19) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commute | |||||||
| Car-free commute (% of commuters) | 70.9% | 77.5% | 75.3% | 80.8% | 24 | 18 | |
| Mean travel time to work (minutes) | 36.2 | 36.3 | 36.1 | 41.9 | 45 | 40 | |
| Crime and Incarceration | |||||||
| Serious crime rate (per 1,000 residents) | 10.7 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 41 | ||
| Serious crime rate, property (per 1,000 residents) | 7.6 | 7.2 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 35 | ||
| Serious crime rate, violent (per 1,000 residents) | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 39 | ||
| Schools | |||||||
| Students performing at grade level in English language arts, 4th grade | 61.0% | 60.4% | 18 | ||||
| Students performing at grade level in math, 4th grade | 57.6% | 59.2% | 21 | ||||
| Indicator | 2000 | 2006 | 2010 | 2018 | 2019 | Rank (2000) | Rank (18/19) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median Rent | |||||||
| Median rent, 2- and 3-bedrooms (2019$) | $1,520 | $1,760 | 10 | ||||
| Median rent, all (2019$) | $1,140 | $1,290 | $1,470 | $1,720 | 21 | 13 | |
| Median rent, recent movers (2019$) | $1,640 | $2,010 | 12 | ||||
| Median rent, studios and 1-bedrooms (2019$) | $1,260 | $1,600 | 9 | ||||
| Median rent, asking | $1,700 | $2,200 | 22 | ||||
| Affordability | |||||||
| Rental units affordable at 30% AMI (% of recently available units) | 2.6% | 2.8% | 40 | ||||
| Rental units affordable at 80% AMI (% of recently available units) | 34.8% | 26.7% | 38 | ||||
| Rental units affordable at 120% AMI (% of recently available units) | 94.1% | 89.5% | 31 | ||||
| Rent Burden | |||||||
| Moderately rent-burdened households | 26.3% | 25.8% | 23.8% | 33 | |||
| Moderately rent-burdened households, low income | 34.6% | 34.0% | 8 | ||||
| Moderately rent-burdened households, moderate income | 25.3% | 29.9% | 11 | ||||
| Severely rent-burdened households | 20.7% | 23.0% | 22.9% | 42 | 47 | ||
| Severely rent-burdened households, low income | 40.6% | 42.1% | 42 | ||||
| Severely rent-burdened households, moderate income | 0.8% | 0.3% | 24 | ||||
| Rental Subsidy | |||||||
| Housing choice vouchers (% of occupied, privately owned rental units) | 0.8% | 0.5% | 53 | ||||
| Public housing (% of rental units) | 13.6% | 12 | |||||
Data Notes: See Indicator Definitions, Rankings, and Methods for more information.
Indicators: The rental vacancy rate, severe crowding rate, and the severely rent-burdened households indicators use five-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates. Data under the 2010 heading comes from the 2006 – 2010 ACS and data under the 2018 heading comes from the 2014 – 2018 ACS.
Rankings: We report rankings out of all neighborhoods for which the indicator can be calculated. Rankings are listed for community districts, though some indicators are reported at the sub-borough area level.
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