Let’s be honest—Westchester County is more segregated than the South. The harsh reality is that Black people in the South often own more homes and live better than those in Westchester. Yet, as long as a few Black individuals are promoted as success stories, the public remains blind to the fact that the average Black person is still looking in from the outside, staring through the glass window of Westchester’s promise.
Westchester County presents an alarming economic disparity for its Black residents. The median household income for Black or African American households is approximately $77,471—significantly lower than the county’s overall median income of $118,411, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This financial gap becomes even more glaring when juxtaposed with the skyrocketing housing market. As of February 2025, the average home value in Westchester County stands at $798,586, a 5.1% increase from the previous year, as reported by Zillow. Furthermore, single-family home prices have surpassed $1 million for the first time, making homeownership an increasingly unattainable goal for Black families, according to CBS News.
Affordable housing programs in Westchester exist but fail to meet the growing demand. Many developments labeled as “affordable” still price homes far above what the average Black household can afford. Predominantly White neighborhoods actively resist the construction of new affordable housing, reinforcing both racial segregation and economic inequality, as noted by New York State Homes & Community Renewal. This resistance is not just passive but actively upheld through exclusionary zoning laws and local legislation that work to maintain the demographic status quo, even in cities with significant Black populations.
In White Plains, where only 12.7% of the population is Black, New Rochelle, where 15.6% of residents are Black, Peekskill, where 15.8% are Black, Yonkers, where 15.84% are Black, and Fairview-Greenburgh, where 56.41% of the population is Black, local government policies continue to restrict multi-family housing developments and affordable homeownership programs that would enable middle-class Black families to enter these housing markets. By implementing zoning restrictions, limiting affordable housing projects, and failing to fund equitable housing initiatives, these cities have ensured that Black residents, even those in the middle class, remain boxed out of homeownership. Additionally, homebuyer assistance programs such as first-time buyer grants are often underfunded and come with restrictive eligibility requirements that disqualify many Black families. Without access to these crucial resources, the dream of homeownership remains elusive.
When advocating for more affordable housing, the focus should not be on Section 8 assistance housing but on developing housing for middle-class Black families who are shut out of homeownership. Westchester’s affordable housing efforts have disproportionately prioritized rental-based Section 8 housing rather than ownership opportunities, reinforcing long-term dependency rather than economic mobility. Developers, who hold significant political influence, continue to push for high-density rental housing projects over owner-occupied properties, as these developments secure long-term financial gains through government-backed housing subsidies. This dynamic ensures that predominantly Black communities, like Mount Vernon, see an increase in low-income rental housing rather than pathways to homeownership.
Mount Vernon, which has the highest Black population in the county, has built more low-income housing than affordable housing for middle-class Black residents. This approach has led to an economic downturn, eroded the tax base, and pushed Mount Vernon into financial crisis. Over the past 20 years, the city has become the dumping ground for Westchester’s poor population rather than a center for Black economic mobility.
Westchester is witnessing an exodus of its Black middle class to counties such as Rockland, Putnam, and Orange, where homeownership is more attainable. Rather than addressing this outmigration, the county has focused on increasing Section 8 housing in historically Black communities like Mount Vernon, effectively ensuring that those who remain are trapped in a cycle of renting. Many Black residents in Mount Vernon are paying the same amount in rent as families who have purchased homes in other counties north or west of Westchester, highlighting the county’s failure to provide equitable homeownership opportunities.
The housing crisis facing Westchester’s Black community today mirrors—and in many ways surpasses—the warnings outlined in the 1992 African American Advisory Board Report to then-County Executive Andrew O’Rourke. More than 30 years ago, the report detailed how the county’s high housing costs had put African Americans at a severe economic disadvantage. At the time, the median sale price of single-family homes had reached $301,650, while the county’s median household income stood at just $39,548. A family earning that income could only qualify for a home costing $100,000—about one-third of the median sale price. Rental costs were also rising, with average rents in 1989 reaching $605 for a studio, $763 for a one-bedroom unit, $941 for two bedrooms, $1,181 for three bedrooms, and $1,456 for four bedrooms. Over 34,000 rental units had been lost due to cooperative and condominium conversions, resulting in a 40% reduction in rental apartments in buildings with five or more units.
Fast forward to 2025, and the situation has only worsened. While the median household income for Black residents has increased to $77,471, it still falls significantly below the county’s overall median of $118,411. Meanwhile, home values have skyrocketed to an average of $798,586, with single-family homes now regularly surpassing $1 million. Rental costs have followed suit, continuing to climb beyond what many families can afford. The same systemic barriers that existed in 1992—lack of affordable housing, restrictive zoning policies, and displacement due to rising property values—have only intensified, further locking Black families out of homeownership and deepening the racial wealth gap.
Since 2000, Westchester County has neglected the housing crisis among middle-class workers, and this political failure has disproportionately impacted the Black middle class, who have been systematically boxed out of homeownership. While local officials tout their affordable housing efforts, these initiatives have overwhelmingly targeted the very low-income population rather than supporting middle-class Black families striving for homeownership. The lack of policies designed to create pathways for working-class and middle-class Black residents to own homes has left them as permanent renters, unable to build generational wealth. The county’s refusal to address exclusionary zoning laws or invest in affordable homeownership initiatives has further entrenched racial and economic disparities, ensuring that Black families remain locked out of Westchester’s housing market.
National reports indicate that homeownership will become increasingly difficult for future generations, but for Black children, the challenge will be nearly impossible, as noted by the Urban Institute. With rising home prices, stagnant wages, and systemic economic barriers, Black families in Westchester—especially those led by single parents—face an uphill battle in achieving the American Dream. Owning real estate is the gateway to generational wealth, yet many Black families are locked out of this opportunity. Homeownership is becoming less of a reality and more of an illusion. If deliberate action is not taken, future generations will find themselves trapped in a cycle where renting is their only option, further widening the racial wealth gap.
According to the Renaissance Club, a political Black think tank, their report Recommendations for Equitable Housing Solutions outlines several necessary actions to address ongoing disparities in Westchester County. The report suggests increasing affordable homeownership initiatives by providing financial incentives for developers to build affordable single-family homes and expanding funding for first-time homebuyer programs targeting middle-class Black families. It calls for zoning policy reforms, including eliminating restrictive zoning laws that limit multi-family and affordable housing developments and promoting mixed-income housing initiatives in predominantly White communities. To address systemic economic barriers, the report recommends implementing policies to bridge the wealth gap, such as down payment assistance and property tax relief for first-time Black homeowners, along with strengthening enforcement against discriminatory lending practices. Additionally, the report emphasizes the need to encourage economic mobility in Black communities by shifting the focus from rental-based Section 8 programs to homeownership opportunities and investing in financial literacy programs to support long-term economic stability for Black families.
Sources:
- U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). Westchester County Household Income Data.
- Zillow. (2025). Westchester County Housing Market Report.
- CBS News. (2025). Westchester Single-Family Homes Surpass $1 Million in Median Sale Price.
- National Community Reinvestment Coalition. (2022). Discriminatory Lending Practices Study.
- Tax Foundation. (2024). Property Tax Rankings in the United States.
- Westchester Index. (2023). Income Disparities in Westchester County.
- Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors. (2024). Housing Market Trends in Westchester.
- New York State Homes & Community Renewal. (2024). Affordable Housing Resistance in Suburban Areas.
- Urban Institute. (2023). Future Homeownership Trends in Minority Communities.
- Westchester County African American Advisory Board Report. (1992). Housing Crisis Analysis.
