Population 90,670 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sunset Park
Household size in Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.30 | 2.77 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.56 | 2.84 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.44 | 2.77 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.34 | 2.78 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | +0.01 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Sunset Park is a place of big households: 3.34 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 crept up from 3.30, even as the national average fell. Of Brooklyn's 39 neighborhoods, only two have larger households.
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 Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0 | 35.1 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.0 | 35.1 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.3 | 36.2 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.0 | 37.5 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.9 | +2.4 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Sunset Park is 38.0 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 33.0 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and 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 Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 16.5% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.0% | 15.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 12.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in seven households in Sunset Park (15.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.6 points, 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 Sunset Park
Renters in Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.0% | 69.7% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 78.4% | 70.5% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 76.1% | 69.9% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 75.5% | 70.5% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Sunset Park rent: 75.5% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. About six in ten owners (59.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has edged down 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 9.7% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 9.4% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.0% | 9.1% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Sunset Park is close to the national rate: 10.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy has risen 3.9 points since 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 Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1946 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1939 | 1948 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1941 | 1948 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1939 | 1953 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +6 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Sunset Park is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1939, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Only one other Brooklyn neighborhood has older homes.
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 Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,023 | $1,083 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,211 | $1,248 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,401 | $1,524 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,819 | $1,954 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$795 | +$871 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sunset Park pays $1,819 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in Brooklyn as a whole ($1,954). Rent has climbed $795 a month since 2006–10, up 78%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 36.0% 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 Sunset Park
Bachelor's degrees in Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 27.8% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 30.4% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 36.1% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.4% | 40.2% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +12.4 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Sunset Park: 23.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only three of Brooklyn's 39 neighborhoods have 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 Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.5% | 77.3% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 49.3% | 78.5% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 51.2% | 81.7% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 59.8% | 83.6% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +6.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About four in ten adults in Sunset Park never finished high school, well above the national share: only 59.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 6.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. No other Brooklyn neighborhood has a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Sunset Park
| Period | Sunset Park | Brooklyn | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 8.5% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 10.8% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sunset Park runs well above the national rate: 7.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Sunset Park 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Park | 3.34 | 38.0 | 15.4% | 75.5% | 10.0% | 1939 | $1,819 | 23.4% | 59.8% | 7.6% |
| Borough Park | 3.79 | 28.3 | 7.7% | 70.0% | 12.8% | 1945 | $1,848 | 29.0% | 78.7% | 7.8% |
| Greenwood | 2.65 | 36.4 | 6.1% | 69.7% | 7.5% | 1943 | $2,419 | 53.6% | 81.2% | 5.9% |
| Dyker Heights | 2.94 | 43.4 | 8.2% | 46.2% | 10.4% | 1941 | $1,971 | 36.9% | 77.0% | 7.5% |
| Bay Ridge-Fort Hamilton | 2.52 | 41.9 | 7.9% | 63.5% | 8.9% | 1941 | $1,894 | 51.1% | 87.1% | 6.7% |
| Park Slope | 2.36 | 39.2 | 6.7% | 55.3% | 8.0% | 1943 | $2,906 | 80.6% | 96.1% | 5.3% |
| Red Hook | 2.21 | 41.6 | 22.4% | 89.1% | 8.5% | 1940 | $1,374 | 33.0% | 73.9% | 8.8% |
| Ditmas Park | 2.70 | 38.9 | 8.4% | 72.0% | 8.7% | 1942 | $1,913 | 46.8% | 85.2% | 5.6% |
| Bensonhurst | 2.90 | 41.7 | 10.9% | 66.7% | 7.4% | 1941 | $1,764 | 32.1% | 73.6% | 6.5% |
| Carroll Gardens | 2.33 | 38.7 | 5.4% | 62.2% | 10.2% | 1947 | $3,048 | 75.8% | 96.0% | 6.4% |
| Flatbush-Ditmas Park | 2.45 | 36.8 | 10.2% | 90.5% | 11.6% | 1941 | $1,915 | 41.2% | 87.6% | 6.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Wakefield-Williamsbridge, Bronx, NY · South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ · South Bronx, Bronx, NY · Roosevelt, Fresno, CA · East Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY · Alahambra, Phoenix, AZ · Mapleton-Flatlands, Brooklyn, NY · Deer Valley, Phoenix, AZ · Paradise Valley, Phoenix, AZ · Cambrian Park, San Jose, CA
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 Sunset Park. 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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