Last updated: 05/21/2024 If you are browsing on a desktop, we encourage you to explore our interactive figures, where you can zoom in and out the figures to gain deeper insights and hover over the figure to see the indicator values. In 2022, Lower East Side/Chinatown was the city’s 33rd largest neighborhood by population out of 59 neighborhoods. It has the 36th largest proportion of nonwhite population, the 46th highest median income, and the 52nd most expensive rents of the city’s 59 neighborhoods. From 2010 to 2020, the neighborhood added 4,299 new housing units, 2,965 units of which were market rate and 1,334 units of which were income restricted.
DEMOGRAPHICS
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Demographics
Indicator
2000
2006
2010
2019
2021
2022
2023
Population
Born in New York State
37.6%
37.2%
35.6%
42.6%
39.0%
Disabled population
6.2%
7.1%
8.9%
8.7%
Foreign-born population
40.3%
39.3%
35.2%
35.7%
30.3%
31.9%
Population
166,379
178,669
159,009
167,128
141,066
141,787
Population aged 65+
13.4%
13.7%
14.3%
22.2%
18.8%
21.9%
Households
Households with children under 18 years old
22.1%
18.3%
16.3%
12.3%
12.5%
12.5%
Single-person households
47.4%
45.3%
49.9%
50.3%
49.0%
Race and Ethnicity
Percent Asian
34.8%
34.8%
34.7%
32.8%
28.1%
26.9%
Percent Black
7.5%
9.7%
6.4%
7.6%
11.0%
7.4%
Percent Hispanic
27.0%
21.4%
22.9%
25.4%
25.0%
26.0%
Percent White
28.1%
32.4%
33.7%
30.3%
32.6%
33.8%
Racial diversity index
0.72
0.72
0.71
0.73
0.74
0.74
Income, Poverty and Ownership
Income diversity ratio
6.9
6.9
10.4
8.6
11.8
Homeownership rate
12.0%
10.8%
13.6%
10.8%
15.5%
15.8%
Median household income (2023$)
$52,760
$53,840
$56,570
$47,810
$54,730
$58,540
Median household income, homeowners (2023$)
$92,170
$122,990
$110,730
$124,970
$128,410
Median household income, renters (2023$)
$50,420
$48,650
$42,890
$46,500
$51,950
Poverty rate
28.4%
25.1%
22.2%
24.0%
24.2%
26.0%
Poverty rate, population aged 65+
38.2%
25.2%
30.8%
28.6%
36.8%
Poverty rate, population under 18 years old
39.3%
30.9%
35.7%
32.2%
34.9%
Labor Market
Labor force participation rate
60.1%
61.2%
56.6%
57.5%
58.4%
Population aged 25+ without a high school diploma
28.9%
26.6%
28.8%
21.1%
21.9%
Unemployment rate
9.4%
7.5%
10.1%
5.2%
10.1%
7.1%
In 2022, there were an estimated 141,787 people in Lower East Side/Chinatown, of which 26.9% identified as Asian, 7.4% identified as Black, 26.0% identified as Hispanic, and 33.8% identified as White.
In 2022, the household income group with the largest share (24.4%) of households was $100,001 -
$250,000. In 2000, the household income group with the largest share (22.7%) of households was <= $20,000.
Median household income in 2022 was $58,540, about 25% less than citywide median household income ($77,550). The poverty rate in Lower East Side/Chinatown was 26.0% in 2022 compared to 18.3% citywide.
Total housing code violations (per 1,000 privately owned rental units)
132.4
109.9
179.7
202.6
188.4
222.9
Median Rent
Median rent, studios and 1-bedrooms (2023$)
$1,220
$1,390
$1,550
$1,610
Median rent, 2- and 3-bedrooms (2023$)
$1,030
$1,170
$1,200
$1,190
Median rent, all (2023$)
$960
$1,130
$1,230
$1,210
$1,300
$1,360
Median rent, recent movers (2023$)
$2,380
$2,890
$2,910
$2,850
Change in collected rent (2019-2020)
12.6%
Affordability
Rental units affordable at 30% AMI (% of recently available units)
4.4%
7.2%
7.1%
8.0%
Rental units affordable at 80% AMI (% of recently available units)
30.2%
23.7%
30.3%
34.3%
Rental units affordable at 120% AMI (% of recently available units)
57.2%
55.3%
58.8%
63.9%
Rent Burden
Moderately rent-burdened households
22.3%
25.6%
27.9%
27.7%
23.5%
Moderately rent-burdened households, low income
28.3%
31.5%
30.0%
29.1%
Moderately rent-burdened households, moderate income
25.6%
42.1%
33.4%
28.8%
Severely rent-burdened households
19.9%
24.3%
23.8%
24.0%
24.1%
Severely rent-burdened households, low income
35.7%
35.9%
37.2%
37.8%
Severely rent-burdened households, moderate income
10.8%
5.1%
3.8%
3.7%
Rental Subsidy
Housing choice vouchers (% of occupied, privately owned rental units)
3.3%
2.3%
Real median gross rent in Lower East Side/Chinatown increased from $1,130 in 2006 to $1,360 in 2022. This represents a 20.4% increase over the same period. The overall rental vacancy rate in Lower East Side/Chinatown was 4.5% in 2022.
The rent distribution shows the share of apartments by their size (according to the number of bedrooms), and then for each apartment size in the community district, the share of apartments according to their monthly gross rent. This distribution compares 5-year ACS figures from 2010 to 5-year ACS figures from 2022.
Between 2018-2022, the largest share of studios had gross rents between $2,000 - $2.5,000 (18%), the largest share of one-bedrooms had rents between $1,000 - $1.5,000 (19%), the largest share of two-bedrooms had rents between <= $500 (22%), the largest share of three bedrooms had rents between $500 - $1,000 (27%). (If you are viewing this page on a desktop, you can use the drop down menu below to switch between different apartment sizes)
As of 2022, the change in median gross rent outpaced the change in median household income by 17.3 percentage points. In 2022, 24.1% of renter households in Lower East Side/Chinatown were severely rent burdened (spent more than 50% of household income on rent). 34.3% of the rental units were affordable at 80% Area Median Income, 4 percentage points higher than the share in 2010.
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Housing Market
Indicator
2000
2006
2010
2019
2021
2022
2023
Housing Stock
Housing units
79,337
77,816
83,942
78,468
81,731
Finance - Distress
Notices of foreclosure rate (per 1,000 1-4 family and condo properties)
1.5
0.8
3.9
0.9
1.1
0.2
Notices of foreclosure, all residential properties
6
5
24
5
10
5
Notices of foreclosure, initial, 1-4 family and condo properties
1
2
10
3
1
0
Notices of foreclosure, repeat, 1-4 family and condo properties
1
0
2
1
4
1
Pre-foreclosure notice rate (per 1,000 1-4 family and condo properties)
9.7
7.1
13.6
10.4
Pre-foreclosure notices, 1-4 family and condo properties
45
35
67
52
Properties entering REO, 1-4 family
0
0
0
Finance - Lending
FHA/VA-backed home purchase loans (% of home purchase loans)
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Higher-cost home purchase loans (% of home purchase loans)
2.2%
0.7%
1.3%
0.4%
1.0%
Higher-cost refinance loans (% of refinance loans)
11.0%
0.3%
0.6%
0.2%
1.4%
Home purchase loan rate (per 1,000 properties)
28.6
14.6
16.9
23.4
20.7
Home purchase loans in LMI tracts (% of home purchase loans)
61.6%
3.4%
47.6%
38.7%
44.4%
Home purchase loans to LMI borrowers (% of home purchase loans)
1.2%
49.0%
3.7%
2.6%
3.7%
Refinance loan rate (per 1,000 properties)
10.5
18.3
8.6
24.2
7.4
Sales - Volume
Sales volume, 1 family building
1
4
1
3
1
1
1
Sales volume, 2-4 family building
2
4
3
3
3
1
1
Sales volume, 5+ family building
37
87
35
37
45
56
38
Sales volume, condominium
68
277
188
463
323
366
265
Sales volume, all property types
108
372
227
506
372
424
305
Sales - Median Prices
Median sales price per unit, 1 family building (2023$)
$1,279,170
$4,318,600
$4,144,220
$8,855,510
$8,261,920
$414,250
$6,500,000
Median sales price per unit, 2-4 family building (2023$)
$396,980
$947,370
$835,530
$1,056,290
$1,597,310
$2,188,070
$1,216,670
Median sales price per unit, 5+ family building (2023$)
$106,950
$299,090
$241,370
$549,850
$516,200
$423,080
$319,170
Median sales price per unit, condominium (2023$)
$328,920
$1,112,480
$1,203,160
$1,758,370
$1,810,330
$1,618,150
$1,448,060
Sales - Housing Price Index
Index of housing price appreciation, 1 family buildinginfo
100.0
Index of housing price appreciation, 2-4 family building
100.0
492.3
369.2
275.8
313.5
742.3
Index of housing price appreciation, 5+ family building
100.0
231.9
254.6
795.4
706.5
682.0
433.7
Index of housing price appreciation, condominium
100.0
242.1
245.2
385.0
353.1
371.3
368.1
Index of housing price appreciation, all property types
100.0
254.2
269.2
457.2
412.3
437.2
404.5
In 2022, the homeownership rate in Lower East Side/Chinatown was 15.8%, which is lower than the citywide share of 32.7%. The homeownership rate in the neighborhood has increased by 2.2 percentage points since 2010. In 2022, the home purchase loan rate was 20.7 per 1,000 properties (owner-occupied 1-4 family buildings, condominiums, or cooperative apartments) and the refinance loan rate was 7.4 per 1,000 properties in the neighborhood. Out of all the first-time home purchase loans and refinance loans in Lower East Side/Chinatown, 1.0% and 1.4% were high cost loans, respectively. 5 properties had a filing of mortgage foreclosure in Lower East Side/Chinatown in 2022. There were 0.2 mortgage foreclosure actions initiated per 1,000 1-4 family properties and condominium units.
Among all residential properties, prices of residential properties have increased 49% in Lower East Side/Chinatown since 2009. (If you are viewing this page on a desktop, you can use the drop down menu below to switch to a different index year for longer term trends.)
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Development
Indicator
2000
2006
2010
2019
2021
2022
2023
Development
Units authorized by new residential building permits
229
0
78
133
589
2,717
83
Units issued new certificates of occupancy
667
640
443
415
233
375
513
Density
Population density (1,000 persons per square mile)
102.4
91.1
95.8
80.8
81.3
Over the last decade, 4,299 units in 4+ unit buildings were built in Lower East Side/Chinatown. 69% were market rate, compared to 25% that were income-targeted. We use data from a variety of sources to count the number of income-restricted units targeted to households earning between 80% and 165% of AMI. However, due to restricted availability of granular data our calculations of income-restricted units should be read as conservative estimates. Read more about our methodology in the technical appendix of the 2021 Focus Report.
The Department of Buildings issued new building permits to 83 residential units in new buildings in Lower East Side/Chinatown in 2023, 2,634 fewer than the number of units authorized in 2022.
The Department of Buildings issued new certificates of occupancy to 513 residential units in new buildings in Lower East Side/Chinatown in 2023, 138 more than the number of units certified in 2022.
Lower East Side/Chinatown has 400 properties with subsidized units as of 2023 through programs like HUD assistance, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, 421a, and others. 19 properties have subsidies due to expire between 2024 and 2029, 30 properties have subsidies due to expire between 2030 and 2039, and 41 properties have subsidies expiring after 2039. For more comprehensive subsidized housing information in New York City, please visit Furman Center's CoreData.nyc.
Students performing at grade level in English language arts, 4th grade
64.2%
58.0%
63.6%
Students performing at grade level in math, 4th grade
62.5%
56.4%
62.1%
The serious crime rate, including property and violent crime types, was 19.4 serious crimes per 1,000 residents in 2023, compared to 14.2 serious crimes per 1,000 residents citywide.
Data Notes: See CoreData User Guide for more information about indicator definitions and methods.
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, data under the 2019 heading comes from the 2015 – 2019 ACS and data under the 2022 heading comes from 2018 – 2022 ACS.