The New York metro area: Bergen, Bronx, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Kings, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Nassau, New York, Ocean, Passaic, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Somerset, Suffolk, Sussex, Union and Westchester counties · Population 19,723,168 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the New York area
Household size in the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in the New York area average 2.79 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the center.
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 the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
At 40.4, the median age in the New York area 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 climbed from 38.0, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northeast.
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 the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in the New York area (11.6%), the same as the national share. The single-parent share is down 1.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 the New York area
Renters in the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in the New York area than nationally: 48.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 42.0% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only one other large metro area has 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 the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in the New York area than nationally: 7.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in the New York area 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. The median year built has moved up from 1957 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Few large metro areas have older homes: only two of 100.
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 the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in the New York area costs $2,060 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $792 a month from 2006–10, a 62% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 33.2% 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 south; the highest are in the northeast.
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 the New York area
Bachelor's degrees in the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in the New York area than nationally: 43.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 8.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. The New York area has a higher share of college graduates than the great majority of large metro areas.
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 the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in the New York area never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.3 points, in line with the national trend. The New York area has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of large metro areas.
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 the New York area
| Period | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in the New York area: 6.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Only six of the 100 large U.S. metro areas have higher unemployment. 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).
Largest cities in the New York area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York area (all) | 2.79 | 40.4 | 11.6% | 48.6% | 7.9% | 1962 | $2,060 | 43.6% | 86.9% | 6.9% |
| Brooklyn | 2.78 | 37.5 | 12.5% | 70.5% | 9.1% | 1953 | $1,954 | 40.2% | 83.6% | 8.3% |
| Queens | 2.88 | 41.4 | 11.8% | 55.1% | 8.4% | 1955 | $2,042 | 36.1% | 82.3% | 7.2% |
| Manhattan | 2.08 | 40.4 | 8.9% | 74.9% | 15.4% | 1956 | $2,383 | 64.7% | 89.9% | 8.2% |
| Bronx | 2.65 | 36.9 | 22.4% | 79.9% | 6.0% | 1958 | $1,512 | 22.3% | 75.0% | 11.7% |
| Staten Island | 2.96 | 41.0 | 11.7% | 32.3% | 8.6% | 1971 | $1,856 | 35.5% | 88.0% | 5.5% |
| Newark | 2.74 | 35.5 | 22.7% | 75.6% | 7.9% | 1968 | $1,447 | 20.8% | 79.2% | 11.8% |
| Jersey City | 2.39 | 35.6 | 11.2% | 72.1% | 7.9% | 1971 | $2,146 | 54.8% | 90.6% | 5.9% |
| Yonkers | 2.77 | 39.8 | 16.4% | 57.5% | 5.3% | 1961 | $1,807 | 32.0% | 80.4% | 7.0% |
| Paterson | 3.32 | 34.2 | 26.9% | 73.2% | 6.5% | 1955 | $1,589 | 12.4% | 74.1% | 10.3% |
| Elizabeth | 3.07 | 36.2 | 22.9% | 74.6% | 6.6% | 1960 | $1,614 | 14.4% | 73.6% | 7.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Washington area · Houston area · Dallas area · Chicago area · Los Angeles area
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 the New York area. 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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