MAPS & DATA

NYC Subways Ridership Reveals Who Got To Stay Home During Covid-19.

By overlapping the New York City subway ridership data with income distribution, it becomes evident that while subway ridership decreased significantly in affluent neighborhoods, it remained relatively consistent in lower-income neighborhoods.

By June Kim

The Geographical Distribution of Subway Usage Decrease Due to COVID-19

This map documents changes in ridership by subway station between March 6 and March 20th, as measured through turnstile usage. The data is provided by the New York City Metro Transit Authority. To contextualize station locations across the five boroughs, an additional layer (Median Household Income) has been added. This data is block group-level estimates provided by the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Drop in Ridership

Click on stations for detailed turnstile usage

→ < 50% decrease to > 90% decrease

Median Household Income

$150,000 +
$100,000 - $150,000
$75,000 - $100,000
$50,000 - $75,000
$20,000 - $50,000
Less than $20,000

These maps were produced as part of Columbia University's GIS mapping course, Points Unknown. To read more stories, visit my website here.