New York City Population 2026 – Demographics, Trends, And Forecasts

New York City has an estimated 8,584,629 residents, according to the latest official Census Bureau data from July 1, 2025.

This number shows that the city gained back a good portion of the population it lost during the pandemic, but that growth has now flattened out. While New York is still below its April 2020 Census count of 8,804,190, this latest estimate is significantly higher than the low point seen in 2022.

The latest NYC Department of City Planning population report shows that the population barely budged between July 2024 and July 2025. The city lost just 12,196 residents over those twelve months, marking a tiny dip after two straight years of solid gains.

The current population rests on a fine line. Births are still outpacing deaths, and people moving in from other countries continue to add to the total headcount.

However, domestic migration is still in the red, meaning more people are moving out of New York to other US states than are moving in from them.

Moreover, things like rent prices, apartment availability, immigration rules, remote work options, and everyday living costs will decide where the numbers go next.

New York City Population Overview For 2026

Latest official city estimate	8,584,629
2020 Census count	8,804,190
Change from April 2020 to July 2025	-219,561 residents
Change from July 2024 to July 2025	-12,196 residents
Largest borough	Brooklyn, 2,653,963 residents
Second-largest borough	Queens, 2,358,182 residents
Median age	38.5 years
Foreign-born population	36.7%
Language other than English spoken at home	48.3%
Median household income	$81,228
Poverty rate	18%
Owner-occupied housing rate	32.8%
Rental vacancy rate	1.4%

We also tracked the wider state trend in our report on New York State population in 2026. That wider picture helps explain why New York City remains the center of the state population story, even when nearby suburbs and the Hudson Valley move differently.

NYC Population by Borough

Brooklyn still has the most people, followed by Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

The bounce-back looks very different depending on the area. Staten Island is the only borough with more people now than in 2020. The Bronx and Brooklyn are still down the most. Queens took the biggest hit last year, losing over 8,000 residents after gaining more than 52,000 the year before.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn has 2,653,963 residents in the latest estimate, holding onto its spot as the biggest borough with nearly 31% of the city’s total population. It lost 4,694 people between July 2024 and July 2025, a small drop that followed a huge gain of 46,764 residents the year before.

If it were its own city, Brooklyn would still rank among the largest in the country. The current numbers are driven by high housing costs, families moving out, new immigrants arriving, and a stark divide between booming waterfront neighborhoods and more affordable inland areas.

Queens

Queens has 2,358,182 residents, keeping its position as the second-largest borough. It lost 8,852 people from July 2024 to July 2025, which was the single biggest one-year drop among all the boroughs.

At the same time, Queens saw the city’s highest influx of international immigrants, adding 20,672 people from abroad, even as a large number of residents moved away to other parts of the US. This defines the borough’s current trend: immigration keeps the numbers afloat, while domestic departures pull them down.

Manhattan

Manhattan’s population stands at 1,664,862. After a massive rebound from its 2021 low point, the headcount stayed almost completely flat over the last year, dipping by just 648 residents.

Manhattan took a heavy hit early in the pandemic because its population includes many high-income renters, students, and office workers who could relocate easily. The subsequent recovery was fueled by people moving back, international arrivals, and the full return of hybrid work, colleges, and city life.

The Bronx

The Bronx has 1,406,332 residents, staying virtually unchanged over the last year with a tiny gain of 280 people. However, the borough is still down by 66,322 residents compared to the 2020 Census.

The Bronx has a younger average population than the rest of New York and is heavily shaped by its Latino, Black, and immigrant communities. Future growth here depends heavily on rent prices, local job opportunities, school enrollment, and the availability of new housing.

Staten Island

Staten Island has 501,290 residents in the latest data. While it remains the smallest borough, it is the only one that has actually grown past its 2020 Census count, adding 1,718 residents between July 2024 and July 2025.

Staten Island stands out because its housing market is different, featuring far more single-family, owner-occupied homes. This lower density explains why its population trends don’t match the ups and downs of the more crowded boroughs.

NYC Population Slipped Last Year

New York City did not lose population because deaths outnumbered births. In fact, births beat out deaths by a wide margin.

The minor drop happened entirely because the number of residents moving to other parts of the United States was larger than the gains from new births and international immigration combined.

Component of Change	July 2024 to July 2025	What It Means
Births	90,084	New births added to the population
Deaths	53,983	Losses from residents passing away
Natural increase	+36,101	More births than deaths
Net international migration	+65,824	People moving in from outside the United States
Net domestic migration	-113,718	The gap between people leaving for other states and those moving in
Total net migration	-47,894	Domestic departures outweighed international arrivals
Total population change	-12,196	The overall population count stayed almost flat

Residents moving to other destinations across the country remains the main challenge for local growth.

The Citizens Budget Commission Competitive NYC tracker highlighted this exact domestic outflow as an ongoing issue in its latest update.

This follows the same pattern detailed in the guide on population decline in the U.S. by state, where local migration trends explain why specific cities lose residents even when the national population keeps climbing.

Race and Ethnicity in NYC

New York City remains one of the most diverse places in the country, with Census data showing no single racial or ethnic group forming a majority.

Race or Ethnicity	Share of New York City Population	Important Note
White alone	33.8%	Includes Hispanic and non-Hispanic residents who identify as White alone
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino	31.0%	Non-Hispanic White population share
Hispanic or Latino	28.5%	Hispanic residents can be of any race
Black alone	21.9%	Includes people who identify as Black alone
Asian alone	14.7%	Large communities include Chinese, Indian, Korean, Bangladeshi, Filipino, and other Asian groups
Two or more races	12.3%	Multiracial identification continues to grow in Census data
American Indian and Alaska Native alone	0.8%	Small citywide share
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone	0.1%	Small citywide share

The Hispanic category overlaps with racial categories because the Census treats Hispanic origin as an ethnicity rather than a race. Because of this overlap, these percentages do not add up to a clean 100%.

For context on how these trends fit into national patterns, see our separate county-level breakdown of the Black population in the United States by county, which tracks regional migration, metro growth, and historical concentrations.

Age Structure, Households, and Family Patterns

The city population is aging, though it remains younger on average than the rest of New York State. Children under 18 make up 20.2% of the population, while residents aged 65 or older account for 16.6%.

Demographic Measure	Latest Figure	What It Shows
Median age	38.5 years	ACS 2024 one-year profile
Under age 5	5.7%	Young children make up a smaller share here than in faster-growing Sunbelt cities
Under age 18	20.2%	About one in five residents is a child
Age 65 and older	16.6%	An aging population increases the demand for senior housing, accessibility, and healthcare
Female residents	52.0%	Women make up a slight majority of the population
Households	3,334,088	Census QuickFacts 2020-2024
Persons per household	2.48	Average household size aligns closely with national averages
Lived in same house one year earlier	90.1%	The vast majority of residents stayed in their homes from one year to the next

Tracking household shifts matters because population totals do not tell the whole story. These shifts directly dictate housing demand, school enrollment planning, subway ridership trends, and long-term healthcare needs.

Immigration and Languages in New York City

Immigration is a primary driver of the city population. The latest ACS data lists over 3.1 million foreign-born residents, meaning immigrants make up 36.7% of all city residents.

The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs 2024 annual report confirms this massive presence, noting that the Dominican Republic, China, and Jamaica are the top three countries of birth for foreign-born New Yorkers.

Immigration or Language Measure	Latest Figure	Source Context
Foreign-born residents	3,108,115	ACS 2024 one-year estimate via Census Reporter
Foreign-born share	36.7%	More than double the national average in the ACS 2024 profile
Language other than English spoken at home	48.3%	ACS 2024 one-year estimate for residents aged 5 and older
Top immigrant origin countries in MOIA report	Dominican Republic, China, Jamaica	Based on the ACS 2023 snapshot in the MOIA report
Major limited-English-proficiency language groups in MOIA report	Spanish, Chinese dialects, Russian, Bangla	MOIA notes these four groups account for nearly three-quarters of foreign-born residents with limited English proficiency

Beyond shaping the city identity, immigration drives clear policy priorities like language access, legal services, and school funding.

For a broader look at the economic side of this trend, read our report on how immigration shapes the U.S. workforce.

Income, Poverty, Education, and Work

New York City features high wages alongside severe poverty and crushing living costs. Recent data sets the city median household income at $81,228, while the poverty rate sits at 18%.

Economic or Social Measure	Latest Figure	What It Shows
Median household income	$81,228	ACS 2024 one-year estimate
Per capita income	$52,504	ACS 2024 one-year estimate
Poverty rate	18%	Higher than the national average in the same profile
High school graduate or higher	83.8%	Residents aged 25 and older
Bachelor’s degree or higher	42.5%	Residents aged 25 and older
Labor force participation	63.1%	Census QuickFacts for residents aged 16 and older
Mean travel time to work	40.3 minutes	Census QuickFacts citywide average

A single median income figure can mask real-world struggles. A household earning at this level faces completely different realities depending on family size, childcare costs, local rent prices, and long commutes from the outer boroughs.

For a broader comparison, see our research on poverty in major U.S. cities, which highlights why extreme wealth and deep poverty frequently exist side by side in major urban hubs.

Housing is the Main Constraint on Population Growth

The city’s room to grow depends almost entirely on its housing supply. Even when jobs, schools, and cultural draws keep demand high, a lack of affordable housing stops the population from expanding.

The recent New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey revealed a rental vacancy rate of just 1.4%, a historic low that places the entire local market under intense strain.

Housing Measure	Latest Figure	Why It Affects Population
Rental vacancy rate	1.4%	A depleted rental supply makes it incredibly difficult for people to move to or within the city
Owner-occupied housing rate	32.8%	The vast majority of households rent rather than own their homes
Median owner-occupied home value	$777,600	Census QuickFacts baseline data
Median selected monthly owner cost with a mortgage	$3,293	Census QuickFacts baseline data
Median gross rent	$1,821	Census QuickFacts baseline data
Housing units	3,737,632	ACS 2024 one-year profile via Census Reporter

Data from the NYU Furman Center State of New York City housing report reinforces this crisis, tracking a 2.9% vacancy rate in ACS-based indicators and showing that 5.3% of renter households face severe overcrowding.

While the city easily attracts students and young professionals via transit and career networks, keeping growing families in the city becomes nearly impossible when space and homeownership are out of reach.

Density and Transportation

With more than 29,300 people per square mile, New York City is far denser than any other major US city. This density makes a robust transit system possible, but it also makes housing shortages immediately obvious.

Measure	Figure	Meaning
Land area	300.45 square miles	Official Census geography boundaries
Population density	29,303.2 people per square mile	The highest density among major US urban centers
Mean travel time to work	40.3 minutes	Reflects long multi-borough commutes
Households with broadband subscription	90.5%	Census QuickFacts data baseline
Households with a computer	94.7%	Census QuickFacts data baseline

Long daily commutes remain standard because high prices force workers far from main employment hubs. While remote work altered standard office routines, the city infrastructure remains strictly built around mass transit and dense commercial zones.

Migration Trends – Why People Leave and Why They Still Come?

New York City constantly swaps residents. It attracts a steady stream of international immigrants, college students, and professionals, but regularly loses established households to nearby suburbs and lower-cost states.

The latest Census data shows 65,824 net international immigrants arrived over a 12-month span, but net domestic migration hit -113,718, meaning domestic departures easily wiped out foreign arrivals.

Population Force	Pushes Population Up	Pushes Population Down
International migration	Foreign immigration, international students, and employment visas	Policy changes, visa caps, and shelter system pressures
Domestic migration	High-paying jobs, colleges, culture, tech, and finance hubs	Crushing housing costs, local taxes, and the flexibility of remote work
Natural change	Births continue to outnumber deaths across the city	A general decline in birth rates softens this buffer over time
Housing supply	New construction allows families to stay and form households	Stagnant building trends and high rents force people out

This migration balance determines the city’s short-term growth path. If immigration dips while domestic flight continues at its current pace, the total headcount will decline even with a steady surplus of births over deaths.

New York City Population Forecasts Through 2055

Long-term population projections from NYC Planning show gradual growth over the next few decades, predicting the city will reach 9.47 million residents by 2055. These numbers rely heavily on future housing production and steady migration paths.

Year	Projected NYC Population	Projection Context
2030	8,760,000	Near-term growth following pandemic-era disruptions
2035	8,960,000	The total city population approaches the 9 million mark
2040	9,140,000	Steady, long-term urban expansion
2045	9,290,000	Growth tied directly to housing construction and immigrant arrivals
2050	9,420,000	Long-range macro projections
2055	9,470,000	The final endpoint of current NYC Planning models

Individual borough models mirror this slow climb, with Brooklyn expected to hold its position as the most populous borough.

Borough	2030 Projection	2055 Projection	Long-Term Pattern
Brooklyn	2,720,000	2,980,000	The largest borough maintains its lead
Queens	2,380,000	2,540,000	Modest growth following recent data corrections
Manhattan	1,670,000	1,800,000	Full recovery followed by steady development
Bronx	1,490,000	1,650,000	Rebound following recent population drops
Staten Island	500,000	510,000	The smallest borough stays flat near half a million

The entire forecast assumes New York can build enough housing to accommodate this growth. Affordability remains the single greatest threat to these predictions, as high demand means little if people are priced out of a place to live.

What Influences the Forecast?

1. Housing Production

Population growth is impossible without housing. New York City can add jobs and attract migrants, but the total headcount cannot increase if apartments remain scarce and expensive. Low vacancy rates restrict new household formation and force families to look outside the city.

2. Domestic Migration

More people consistently leave the city for other parts of the US than move in. If this domestic outflow narrows, the total population can grow even with modest immigration numbers. If the exodus expands, keeping the city headcount steady becomes much harder.

3. International Migration

Immigration has historically been the main buffer preventing citywide population decline. Changes to federal visa rules, economic issues abroad, and local shelter capacity all directly alter the size and composition of these incoming flows.

4. Births, Deaths, and Aging

New York City still records a natural increase because births outnumber deaths, but annual birth rates have trended downward recently. At the same time, a growing senior demographic shifts local demand toward healthcare, accessible housing, and senior services.

5. Remote Work and Office Jobs

The rise of remote and hybrid work models changed where high-income professionals choose to live. Manhattan recovered from its initial pandemic losses, but the relationship between office employment and residential location remains completely different from the 2010s.

6. Cost of Living

Affordability is the central question driving local population trends. The combined cost of housing, childcare, transit, groceries, and taxes serves as the deciding factor when people choose whether to stay, leave, or move to the city.

How NYC Compares with the Wider Region?

New York City is the core of the nation’s largest metropolitan area, but the city itself is only one part of the regional population. A substantial portion of the local workforce lives in Long Island, the Hudson Valley, New Jersey, or Connecticut.

This regional pattern means domestic outmigration from the city does not automatically equal a loss for the tri-state area. Many households relocate to nearby suburbs for more space or lower costs while keeping their NYC jobs, business ties, and social links.

For broader context on these trends, see our analyses of U.S. population by state and city and state population growth trends.

Methodology

The core population baseline relies on the U.S. Census Bureau estimate of 8,584,629. This figure serves as the current benchmark because official local population estimates are compiled and published retroactively.

Borough breakdowns and specific components of change come from the Population Estimates Program Vintage series, matching the data summarized by the NYC Department of City Planning.

Specific details on race, age, housing, income, and education are combined from Census QuickFacts, ACS one-year data through Census Reporter, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs annual report, the NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey, and housing indicators from the NYU Furman Center.

Long-term outlooks through 2055 rely on official NYC Department of City Planning projections. These planning estimates use rounded numbers rather than exact future tallies.

Bottom Line

New York City’s population stands at roughly 8.58 million residents based on the latest official Census Bureau estimate. The overall headcount remains below the peak recorded in the 2020 Census, but the city has recovered a significant portion of its early pandemic losses.

The current pattern is stability paired with intense economic pressure. Natural increases and international arrivals add residents, while domestic outmigration and high living costs pull numbers down. Brooklyn remains the largest borough, Queens is the second-largest and most immigrant-driven, Manhattan has largely stabilized, the Bronx is below its 2020 baseline, and Staten Island is the only borough above its 2020 Census total.

Long-range projections point toward growth, indicating the potential to reach 9.47 million residents by 2055. Reaching that milestone depends heavily on expanding the housing stock, managing affordability, and ensuring the city can retain its working families and aging population instead of losing them to lower-cost regions.