Essential Needs & Services

Essential services like hot and cold running water as well as access to a stove are taken for granted by many New Yorkers. But disadvantaged population groups like racial and ethnic minorities and the foreign born often live without them. Quality hospital care nearby is another key measure studied. Disparities in access to timely and effective care were recorded between boroughs and Manhattan. Finally, access to high-speed Internet, considered a necessity for employment and other critical functions of daily life, varies by racial and ethnic group.

To understand Essential Needs & Services as a function of inequality, we used four indicators:

• Race & Hot/Cold Running Water
• Race & Internet Access
• Immigration Status & Stove/Range
• Location & Hospital Quality

Take a look at the chart to your right for an overall picture of this topic, and then look at each indicator and the scores in context for more detail and additional findings.