Report: More than one in four New York State residents lives within half a mile of a mega-warehouse

Updated: April 27, 2026

What’s new: A new report by EDF and ElectrifyNY provides updated data on the growth of mega-warehouses – and their health impacts – in communities across New York State, driven in-part by the e-commerce boom. More than one in four New York State residents lives within half a mile of a large warehouse and is therefore subject to increased pollution from medium- and heavy-duty truck traffic. Click here to read the full report (updated in 2026).  Key findings from the new report include:

• 5 million state residents live within half a mile of a large warehouse of at least 50,000 square feet.
• Of those, 330,000 are younger than five and 680,000 are over age 64.
• Black, Hispanic/Latino and low-income families are nearly 1.5 times more likely to live within half a mile of a warehouse compared to the state average.
• On average, populations of color are 1.7x more likely than white populations to live in areas with higher health-harming NOx and PM2.5 pollution from trucks.
• An estimated 13,500 new asthma cases per year come from NOx pollution, and 32% of statewide NOx pollution comes from on-road vehicles.

Why it matters: Diesel trucks emit significant pollution around warehouses while idling and while traveling at low speeds, and regulations to protect health haven’t kept up. EDF research shows that nitrogen dioxide – one of the main pollutants released by these trucks – contributes to more than 21,000 new childhood asthma cases every year in the New York City metropolitan region alone. In areas with worse pollution, it contributes to more than 30% of new asthma diagnoses.

Asthma is a leading cause of missed school days and has been linked to diminished school performance. Black children are nearly nine times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma and five times more likely to die from asthma, compared to non-Hispanic white children. Air pollution from diesel trucks is also associated with increased health risks at other stages of life. It raises the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, dementia, heart disease and stroke. 

Policy measures, like an Indirect Source Rule, could help decrease the air quality burden on these communities through incentivizing warehouses to implement pollution reduction measures like acquiring zero-emission vehicles or installing on site solar panels, batteries, and charging infrastructure.

Go deeper: Download the full report. (updated for 2026)