Representative Gregory Meeks, Democratic from New York

Gregory Meeks

New York's 5th congressional district

NY-5 Midterms Intelligence

Gregory Meeks sits atop one of the safest Democratic seats in the country, a D+50 Queens district he has held for 29 years. The constituency is unusually diverse but anchored by a Black plurality (40.8%), with sizable Hispanic and Asian communities layered into a dense outer-borough electorate shaped as much by neighborhood institutions as by ideology. This is a deep-blue, low-general-election-risk seat where the real politics run through coalition maintenance, local credibility, and turnout-sensitive Democratic networks rather than persuasion across party lines.

For advocates, the opening is to connect Meeks’s committee profile—Foreign Affairs and Financial Services—to household affordability and economic mobility in a district with $86,577 median income but 8.6% unemployment and 19.0% SNAP use. Voters live the squeeze of high-cost New York: solid incomes on paper, real precarity underneath. Campaigns that frame asks around jobs, small-business capital, housing stability, disaster preparedness, and immigrant-connected international concerns will travel; abstract ideological pitches will not.

Representative Gregory Meeks represents New York's 5th congressional district, serving 789,687 constituents. The district has an estimated median household income of $86,577 and an unemployment rate of 8.6%.

Economic & Demographic Snapshot

789,687Population
↓ 11,258
$86,577Median Incomenat'l $37,585
↑ $3,239
8.6%Unemploymentnat'l 3.5%
↑ 0.2%
9.7%Poverty Ratenat'l 12.4%
↑ 1.1%
53.8%Homeownershipnat'l 65.5%
→ no change
$1,768Median Rentnat'l $1,163
↑ $86
36.8%Public Transitnat'l 5%
→ no change
45.6 minMean Commutenat'l 26.4 min
↓ 1.1 min

Data sourced from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2017-2021 vs. 2019-2023). All figures are statistical estimates with 90% confidence level.

New York District 5 Demographics

Median Age 40.3 (vs 38.5) · Homeownership 53.8% (vs 65.5%) · Bachelor’s+ 28.6% (vs 33.7%) · Poverty 9.7% (vs 12.4%) · Income $86,577 (vs $37,585)

Key Issues for This District
Immigration policyEducation accessWorkforce developmentRent burden

Age Distribution

Near the national median age (40.3 vs 38.5 nationally). The largest age cohort is 50–59 at 14.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

A majority-minority district. Black residents are the largest group at 40.8%. Also significant: Hispanic (21.1%), White (15.3%), Asian (15%).

* Hispanic includes respondents of any race. Racial categories include both Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals.

Education

28.6% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, below the 33.7% national average. 17.2% of residents lack a high school diploma.

Income Distribution

Median household income is $86,577, well above the $37,585 national median.

Housing

Homeownership at 53.8% (vs 65.5% nationally). Median rent is $1,768. Median home value is $671,700.

How People Get to Work

A transit-heavy district: 36.8% use public transportation. Average commute is 45.6 minutes.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
Data represents 5-year statistical estimates for increased reliability.
Note: New York congressional districts were significantly redrawn in 2022, affecting demographic comparisons between different survey periods.

New York District 5 FAQ

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Representative Meeks focuses on International Affairs, Finance and Financial Sector and Congress. Deliver personalized constituent letters to New York's federal, state, and local officials — live in under five minutes.

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