Population 50,323 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in East Harlem
Household size in East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.76 | 2.15 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.63 | 2.16 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.12 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.21 | 2.08 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.55 | −0.07 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
East Harlem is a place of small households, averaging 2.21 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Locally, though, the typical household here is bigger than in Manhattan overall, where it has 2.08 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.76, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4 | 37.5 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.2 | 38.2 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.9 | 39.4 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.0 | 40.4 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.6 | +2.8 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
At 39.0, the median age in East Harlem is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 31.4 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the southeast, the oldest in the north.
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 East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 10.5% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.6% | 9.5% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 19.8% | 8.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 8.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in six households in East Harlem (17.7%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 8.9 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Manhattan neighborhood has a higher share of single-parent households.
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 East Harlem
Renters in East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.4% | 77.2% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 94.3% | 77.4% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 94.2% | 75.9% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 90.7% | 74.9% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in East Harlem: 90.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. More than four in ten owners (42.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 4.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Of Manhattan's 30 neighborhoods, only two have a higher share of renters.
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 East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 12.8% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 13.1% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 13.8% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 15.4% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +2.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in East Harlem as nationally: 9.8%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Manhattan overall (15.4%). Vacancy is up 1.3 points from 2006–10, 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 East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1952 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1954 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1954 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1956 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
East Harlem is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Even so, homes here are newer than in Manhattan overall, where the median home dates to 1956. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the southeast.
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 East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $704 | $1,332 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $844 | $1,485 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,019 | $1,922 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,483 | $2,383 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$779 | +$1,051 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in East Harlem costs $1,483 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $779 a month from 2006–10, a 111% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 33.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 East Harlem
Bachelor's degrees in East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.6% | 57.2% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.9% | 59.6% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.0% | 62.2% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.5% | 64.7% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.9 pts | +7.5 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in East Harlem than nationally: 32.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 13.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only one other Manhattan neighborhood has a lower share of college graduates.
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 East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 61.1% | 84.9% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 69.7% | 86.6% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 70.4% | 87.8% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.0% | 89.9% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.8 pts | +5.0 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in East Harlem never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 16.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. East Harlem has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Manhattan neighborhoods.
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 East Harlem
| Period | East Harlem | Manhattan | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 8.3% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 8.6% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 5.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 8.2% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in East Harlem runs well above the national rate: 12.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.4 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
East Harlem 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Harlem | 2.21 | 39.0 | 17.7% | 90.7% | 9.8% | 1968 | $1,483 | 32.5% | 78.0% | 12.1% |
| Yorkville | 2.30 | 40.3 | 18.3% | 91.4% | 9.1% | 1961 | $1,443 | 37.8% | 78.2% | 12.0% |
| Harlem | 2.34 | 38.6 | 17.6% | 84.3% | 10.7% | 1957 | $1,510 | 41.6% | 84.5% | 12.4% |
| Morningside Heights | 2.13 | 34.1 | 7.6% | 76.1% | 16.3% | 1944 | $2,157 | 71.7% | 93.3% | 10.7% |
| Carnegie Hill | 1.92 | 45.2 | 3.2% | 58.4% | 16.2% | 1951 | $2,950 | 84.7% | 96.7% | 4.5% |
| Mott Haven | 2.61 | 33.4 | 27.6% | 93.4% | 4.5% | 1969 | $1,255 | 15.1% | 65.7% | 15.2% |
| Hamilton Heights | 2.64 | 34.7 | 13.1% | 85.9% | 8.5% | 1941 | $1,724 | 40.6% | 82.6% | 13.0% |
| Upper East Side | 1.92 | 43.9 | 4.7% | 62.9% | 22.4% | 1958 | $2,882 | 82.1% | 97.9% | 4.8% |
| Upper West Side | 2.02 | 44.5 | 7.8% | 64.5% | 17.0% | 1953 | $2,776 | 77.6% | 95.2% | 6.7% |
| Astoria | 2.20 | 37.7 | 7.7% | 81.1% | 15.7% | 1953 | $2,118 | 53.4% | 89.5% | 8.1% |
| Roosevelt Island | 2.10 | 36.9 | 5.7% | 81.1% | 12.6% | 1989 | $3,007 | 76.6% | 95.7% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: East Foothills, San Jose, CA · Otay Ranch, Chula Vista, CA · Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY · Sawtelle, Los Angeles, CA · Santa Teresa, San Jose, CA · Rogers Park, Chicago, IL · Richmond, Philadelphia, PA · Rego Park, Queens, NY · Raleigh, Memphis, TN · Preston Hollow, Dallas, TX
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 East Harlem. 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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