NYC Is Even More Unaffordable Than You Think, In 6 Charts

NYC Is Even More Unaffordable Than You Think, In 6 Charts

We knew it was bad, but not this bad.

Rents in New York City have skyrocketed over the past decade while New Yorkers' incomes have fallen, creating a dearth of affordable housing for the people that need it most. That's the takeaway from a disheartening report released by city Comptroller Scott Stringer this week. “Some of the data is obviously chilling,” Stringer told The New York Observer.

For example, while the median rent in New York City rose 75 percent between 2000 and 2012-- an increase 30 percent higher than in the rest of the country-- the median household income in the city fell about 5 percent. This has created a dire situation for those in the lower income brackets.

"Although most New Yorkers probably feel that housing in the city is too expensive, it is primarily those earning under $40,000 who literally may not be able to find an apartment they can afford," reads the report. In 2012, those making between $20,000 and $40,000 a year spent 44 percent of their income on rent. According to federal guidelines, "Families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care."

Stringer called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to tackle this affordable housing crisis. The mayor pledged during his campaign to bring 200,000 new affordable housing units to the city. He's expected to announce his plan to do so in May.

Here are six terrifying charts that show precisely how unaffordable New York has become.

Infographics by Jan Diehm for The Huffington Post.

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