The northwest corner of Fort Greene is the poorest area of Brooklyn, according to new census data. The census tract, between Navy Street and N. Portland Avenue, and Park and Myrtle avenues, has a median income of $9,001. “To put that into context,” the Times‘ Local blog reports, “the federal poverty line is under $18,000 for a family of three.” The tract includes the Walt Whitman and Ingersoll Houses. Walk southeast a few blocks, closer to BAM, and the median income rises ninefold; walk northwest into DUMBO and the median income jumps by a factor of 18.
The second poorest tract in Brooklyn is in Coney Island, with a median income of $9,215. The poorest census tract in the city is in the Bronx, with a median income of $8,694.