Population 61,040 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Chelsea
Household size in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.76 | 2.15 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.81 | 2.16 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.71 | 2.12 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.72 | 2.08 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.07 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Chelsea are small: just 1.72 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has edged down from 1.76 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8 | 37.5 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.6 | 38.2 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 40.4 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +2.8 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
At 39.5, the median age in Chelsea is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 38.8, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the center.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 10.5% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 9.5% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 8.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 8.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Chelsea: 5.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 1.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Chelsea
Renters in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.4% | 77.2% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 70.5% | 77.4% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 69.4% | 75.9% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 71.9% | 74.9% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −2.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Chelsea rent: 71.9% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Still, renters make up a smaller share here than in Manhattan as a whole (74.9%). Just over half of owners (52.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 12.8% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 13.1% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 13.8% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.0% | 15.4% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +2.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Chelsea: 18.0% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 4.7 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1952 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1954 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1954 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1956 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Chelsea is a place of older homes: half were built before 1969, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Still, homes here are newer than in Manhattan overall, where the median home dates to 1956. The median year built has moved up from 1958 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,534 | $1,332 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,671 | $1,485 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,267 | $1,922 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,834 | $2,383 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,300 | +$1,051 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
Rent in Chelsea runs $2,834 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,300 a month since 2006–10, up 85%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 26.1% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the east and lowest in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Chelsea
Bachelor's degrees in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.1% | 57.2% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 73.3% | 59.6% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 76.7% | 62.2% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 74.2% | 64.7% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +7.5 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Chelsea is highly educated: about three-quarters of adults 25 and older (74.2%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 5.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.1% | 84.9% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.9% | 86.6% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.4% | 87.8% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.6% | 89.9% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +5.0 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Chelsea is above the national rate: 93.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 1.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Chelsea
| Period | Chelsea | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 8.3% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 8.6% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 5.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 8.2% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Chelsea than nationally: unemployment was 6.6%, against 5.4%. Still, the rate is lower than in Manhattan as a whole (8.2%). Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Chelsea compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 1.72 | 39.5 | 5.9% | 71.9% | 18.0% | 1969 | $2,834 | 74.2% | 93.6% | 6.6% |
| Garment District | 1.50 | 35.8 | 5.3% | 77.8% | 19.6% | 1987 | $3,401 | 75.9% | 94.6% | 4.2% |
| West Village | 1.71 | 41.5 | 2.1% | 68.9% | 19.6% | 1947 | $2,942 | 85.2% | 98.6% | 7.9% |
| Greenwich Village | 1.79 | 37.9 | 3.1% | 60.4% | 20.0% | 1946 | $3,065 | 88.0% | 98.6% | 5.7% |
| Clinton | 1.63 | 38.8 | 4.2% | 89.6% | 14.1% | 1987 | $2,830 | 77.4% | 95.4% | 7.6% |
| Gramercy | 1.82 | 37.5 | 6.0% | 77.9% | 17.6% | 1954 | $3,002 | 83.8% | 96.8% | 4.9% |
| Kips Bay | 1.75 | 37.0 | 4.6% | 75.2% | 18.9% | 1968 | $2,709 | 72.9% | 96.7% | 6.7% |
| Murray Hill | 1.74 | 38.4 | 3.4% | 66.1% | 20.8% | 1967 | $3,164 | 86.0% | 98.0% | 3.6% |
| Theater District | 1.57 | 40.5 | 2.5% | 85.3% | 14.6% | 1966 | $2,390 | 65.9% | 93.2% | 8.2% |
| Soho | 1.78 | 40.6 | 2.9% | 64.5% | 22.7% | 1952 | $3,014 | 89.7% | 99.4% | 2.9% |
| East Village | 1.91 | 36.5 | 6.4% | 83.2% | 10.9% | 1950 | $2,280 | 63.0% | 89.4% | 7.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Centennial Hills, Las Vegas, NV · Far North Dallas-Keller, Keller, TX · Ridgewood, Queens, NY · Santa Teresa, San Jose, CA · Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, NY · Greater Hilltop, Columbus, OH · Richmond Hill, Queens, NY · Southeast Arlington, Arlington, TX · Allston-Brighton, Brighton, MA · The Heights, Jersey City, NJ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Chelsea. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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