It’s less likely that they’re doing something ‘wrong’, and more likely that factors such as household size and living location drive up the overall cost of living past what potentially their single salary can withstand. A single-earner with a spouse and kid to support living in Manhattan can struggle to keep up even with a $150k+ salary.
Rents and basic living expenses(ie. Food) in particular have spiked citywide since the pandemic, which further exacerbates the issue.
Yes a single expensive chronic medical condition or child with high support needs disability will wipe that right out. $150k isn't poverty anywhere I don't think but it's not rare at all to end up professionally & personally tied to an expensive area with obligations that make it difficult for you to make it work.
This isn't an actual survey of people though. Cornell is saying "The living wage for this county is $xx,000, and xx% of people make less than $xx,000 in this county." They're comparing a range of incomes against essentially the fixed median cost of living.
Consider again that this is the whole state, not just NYC. Much of New York state is badly economically depressed and has been for a long time: Troy, Poughkeepsie, Utica, Binghamton, etc.
Rents and basic living expenses(ie. Food) in particular have spiked citywide since the pandemic, which further exacerbates the issue.