New York Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for New York, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in New York. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in New York. The estimated population of New York is 20,114,745 people, with a median age of 39.2.

We can look at the total population in New York over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
20,114,745
+3.07%
+1.60%
2020
19,514,849
 -0.29% -
2019
19,572,319
 -0.24% -
2018
19,618,453
 -0.91% -
2017
19,798,228
 - -

Population of New York by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
54.7%
55.9%
 -2.15%
Black/African American
13.9%
14.4%
 -3.47%
Native
0.2%
0.2%
 0.00%
Hispanic
19.2%
18.8%
 +2.13%
Asian
8.6%
8.3%
 +3.61%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.7%
1.8%
 +50.00%
Other
0.7%
0.5%
 +40.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of New York by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 39.2 +0.51% 37.9 +1.07% 40.4 -0.25%
2020 39 +0.52% 37.5 +0.54% 40.5 +0.5%
2019 38.8 +0.26% 37.3 +0.54% 40.3 +0.25%
2018 38.7 +0.78% 37.1 +0.82% 40.2 +0.5%
2017 38.4 - 36.8 - 40 -

The median age of New York gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 1,185,193 -1.4% 1,132,669 -1.26% 1,167,906 1,117,855
10 to 19 1,230,425 +2% 1,183,585 +1.21% 1,253,600 1,196,615
20 to 29 1,454,922 -5.43% 1,447,793 -4.33% 1,377,294 1,385,849
30 to 39 1,306,969 +5.55% 1,335,090 +3.63% 1,379,919 1,383,546
40 to 49 1,250,763 -2.28% 1,311,452 -4.58% 1,220,947 1,251,441
50 to 59 1,330,296 +0.91% 1,427,538 -2.13% 1,341,015 1,396,971
60 to 69 1,013,184 +11.58% 1,150,258 +8.34% 1,134,634 1,248,815
70+ 832,359 +13.05% 1,205,732 +8.53% 946,396 1,311,942

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of New York is $75,157.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for New York.

  • Under 25
    $39,366.00
  • 25 to 44
    $85,570.00
  • 45 to 64
    $88,827.00
  • 65 and over
    $51,837.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in New York, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in New York, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of New York is currently $111,583.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

12.94% of households in New York are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of New York against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    18.04%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    17.06%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    14.82%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.78%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.38%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    8.99%
  • $200,000 or more
    12.94%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in New York is $43,208.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of New York by the total population of New York.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in New York, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in New York to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    19.62%
  • Bachelor's degree
    34.44%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    7.79%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    34.39%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.76%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in New York that are over the age of 16.

The total population of New York over the age of 16 is 16,383,427.

Of those people, a total of 63.10% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in New York is 59.00%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 1,004,658 29.70% 18.70%
20 to 24 years 1,297,689 69.00% 11.80%
25 to 29 years 1,465,454 83.50% 7.20%
30 to 34 years 1,439,189 84.30% 6.00%
35 to 44 years 2,545,476 83.60% 5.00%
45 to 54 years 2,597,124 81.50% 4.70%
55 to 59 years 1,392,050 73.50% 4.80%
60 to 64 years 1,311,628 59.80% 4.60%
65 to 74 years 1,929,865 28.30% 4.70%
75 years and over 1,400,294 7.40% 4.80%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in New York. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 10,183,073 63.10% 5.00%
Black or African American 2,457,625 61.10% 9.20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 66,652 58.90% 9.20%
Asian 1,434,315 64.20% 5.70%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 7,580 63.80% 12.00%
Other 1,393,861 63.40% 9.00%
Two or more races 840,321 66.60% 9.00%
Hispanic or Latino 2,948,295 64.20% 8.30%
Not Hispanic or Latino 9,246,826 62.90% 4.90%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in New York as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in New York is 9,663,517, with median earnings of $47,170.00.

Women in New York earning approximately 78.00% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 9,663,517 $47,170.00
Male 4,963,131 $53,461.00
Female 4,700,386 $41,707.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 1,026,432 $85,550.00
Business and Financial 578,999 $78,040.00
Computer and Mathematical 285,980 $87,866.00
Architecture and Engineering 150,264 $83,495.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 99,716 $70,262.00
Community and Social Service 209,026 $50,200.00
Legal 177,214 $109,978.00
Educational and Library 731,901 $54,035.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 314,926 $56,643.00
Healthcare Practitioners 630,263 $73,798.00
Healthcare Support 451,363 $26,561.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 150,707 $36,717.00
Law Enforcement 130,785 $82,441.00
Food Preparation and Serving 472,775 $20,880.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 360,726 $28,345.00
Personal Care and Service 300,976 $20,828.00
Sales 895,297 $34,712.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,079,230 $39,326.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 22,566 $25,382.00
Construction and Extraction 425,051 $45,277.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 224,174 $52,938.00
Production 323,365 $39,048.00
Transportation and Material Moving 382,777 $37,493.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 585,479 $95,086.00 440,953 $76,750.00
Business and Financial 280,303 $89,685.00 298,696 $68,593.00
Computer and Mathematical 213,401 $92,730.00 72,579 $78,030.00
Architecture and Engineering 122,489 $86,140.00 27,775 $72,271.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 48,022 $76,158.00 51,694 $65,797.00
Community and Social Service 63,259 $48,604.00 145,767 $50,630.00
Legal 91,302 $147,813.00 85,912 $86,173.00
Educational and Library 203,283 $64,043.00 528,618 $50,527.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 158,466 $61,684.00 156,460 $54,005.00
Healthcare Practitioners 173,619 $88,521.00 456,644 $69,114.00
Healthcare Support 67,938 $30,696.00 383,425 $26,028.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 111,143 $41,784.00 39,564 $25,607.00
Law Enforcement 106,222 $86,117.00 24,563 $68,129.00
Food Preparation and Serving 259,985 $23,765.00 212,790 $17,282.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 222,096 $33,244.00 138,630 $21,309.00
Personal Care and Service 88,613 $28,172.00 212,363 $18,706.00
Sales 466,217 $47,981.00 429,080 $25,117.00
Office and Administrative Support 303,641 $42,084.00 775,589 $38,414.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 16,171 $27,622.00 6,395 $20,959.00
Construction and Extraction 413,302 $45,415.00 11,749 $43,130.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 215,043 $53,179.00 9,131 $44,859.00
Production 231,859 $43,897.00 91,506 $28,315.00
Transportation and Material Moving 334,342 $38,741.00 48,435 $30,848.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 7,530,150 households in New York, with an average household size of 2.6 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 4,722,870 families in New York with an average family size of 3.27 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 3,293,425 378,133 1,051,312 2,807,280
Average Household Size 3.37 3.34 3.41 1.28
Total Families 3,293,425 378,133 1,051,312 0
Average Household Size 3.33 2.95 3.2 0

Poverty

Of the 4,722,870 families in New York, 9.80% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in New York:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 8,449,178 housing units in New York.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 7,530,150 89.12%
Vacant 919,028 10.88%

39.29% of the total 8,449,178 housing units in New York are rental units. This is approximately 3,319,320 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 4,095,636 are occupied by the owner - or 48.47% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in New York is $1,390.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in New York that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    115,194
  • Less than $500
    314,092
  • $500 to $999
    683,164
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    841,783
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    672,092
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    366,764
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    175,000
  • $3,000 or more
    266,425

Property Value

The median value of a property in New York is $340,600.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in New York that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    171,408
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    352,166
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    403,061
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    386,501
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    545,395
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    886,976
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    990,805
  • $1,000,000 or more
    359,324

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in New York. The chart below shows the number of properties in New York that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    2,655,169
  • 1940 to 1949
    669,971
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,228,749
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,053,390
  • 1970 to 1979
    831,110
  • 1980 to 1989
    640,275
  • 1990 to 1999
    526,834
  • 2000 to 2009
    517,572
  • 2010 to 2013
    321,118
  • 2014 or later
    4,990

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in New York that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    2,175,983
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,471,616
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,945,683
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    936,868

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in New York get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in New York that commute to work in a particular way.

33.3 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in New York.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    201,626
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    621,235
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    870,036
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,002,065
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,020,747
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    487,134
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    1,175,876
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    269,092
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    438,675
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    935,745
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    1,033,204
  • 90 or more minutes
    485,256

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for New York in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in New York

We have data for 62 counties in New York. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in New York

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in New York, click on the links below.