Population 30,572 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Howard Beach
Household size in Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.92 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 3.00 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 3.03 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.96 | 2.88 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.31 | −0.03 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Howard Beach is a place of big households: 2.96 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.65, even as the national average fell.
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 Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.3 | 37.8 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.9 | 38.4 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.1 | 39.9 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.3 | 41.4 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.0 | +3.7 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Howard Beach skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 46.3, even as the national median rose.
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 Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 13.3% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 12.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 11.7% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Howard Beach than nationally: 13.9%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 6.7 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 Howard Beach
Renters in Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.1% | 54.5% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.4% | 56.2% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.7% | 55.2% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.8% | 55.1% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +0.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Howard Beach rent their homes (25.8%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 50.2% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the center.
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 Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 8.4% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 8.2% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 10.1% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 8.4% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −0.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Howard Beach: 7.5% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Queens as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 0.8 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 Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1950 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1952 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1952 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1955 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Howard Beach is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1962, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in Queens overall, where the median home dates to 1955. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,359 | $1,239 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,452 | $1,385 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,604 | $1,637 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,084 | $2,042 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$726 | +$803 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Howard Beach costs $2,084 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $726 a month since 2006–10, up 53%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 38.4% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northeast; the highest are in the center.
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 Howard Beach
Bachelor's degrees in Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 29.0% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.1% | 29.9% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.3% | 31.8% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.0% | 36.1% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Howard Beach as nationally: 33.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in Queens as a whole (36.1%). The share with a degree has risen 11.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.2% | 79.6% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.9% | 80.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.4% | 81.7% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.4% | 82.3% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +2.8 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Howard Beach never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Still, the rate is higher than in Queens as a whole (82.3%). The share with a diploma is up 5.2 points from 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 Howard Beach
| Period | Howard Beach | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 8.7% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Howard Beach: 8.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged up 1.5 points, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Howard Beach 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Beach | 2.96 | 44.3 | 13.9% | 25.8% | 7.5% | 1962 | $2,084 | 33.0% | 85.4% | 8.4% |
| Ozone Park | 3.44 | 39.2 | 10.6% | 46.4% | 6.1% | 1947 | $2,004 | 24.8% | 75.8% | 7.5% |
| South Ozone Park | 3.47 | 42.3 | 13.8% | 29.9% | 6.1% | 1947 | $2,141 | 22.5% | 79.6% | 9.7% |
| East Brooklyn | 2.92 | 38.1 | 21.6% | 74.2% | 9.1% | 1957 | $1,640 | 18.5% | 81.2% | 8.4% |
| Woodhaven | 3.45 | 41.9 | 15.3% | 45.7% | 7.4% | 1941 | $1,998 | 26.8% | 79.1% | 8.0% |
| Richmond Hill | 3.56 | 41.0 | 10.8% | 43.7% | 4.6% | 1940 | $2,003 | 23.4% | 74.2% | 8.4% |
| Broadway Junction | 2.62 | 35.2 | 24.3% | 83.7% | 6.5% | 1959 | $1,529 | 15.5% | 77.7% | 10.2% |
| Glendale | 2.76 | 40.5 | 11.3% | 50.1% | 6.4% | 1940 | $2,043 | 30.3% | 83.7% | 5.3% |
| Canarsie | 2.87 | 42.5 | 17.7% | 49.4% | 15.2% | 1957 | $1,761 | 29.4% | 88.4% | 8.8% |
| Brownsville | 2.63 | 38.8 | 23.3% | 76.5% | 7.0% | 1962 | $1,267 | 19.1% | 80.1% | 13.8% |
| Locust Manor | 3.27 | 39.0 | 21.1% | 40.8% | 8.4% | 1953 | $1,907 | 21.2% | 84.1% | 10.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY · Clifton, Staten Island, NY · Greater Landover, Landover, MD · Hazelwood-Mill Park, Portland, OR · Green Hills, Nashville, TN · Highland Hills, San Antonio, TX · Highline, Seattle, WA · Kyle Canyon, Las Vegas, NV · Logan-Ogontz-Fern Rock, Philadelphia, PA · North End, St. Paul, MN
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 Howard Beach. 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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