Press Releases

For Immediate Release
July 2, 2024

Contacts:
Casey Berkovitz, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471

NEW YORK – Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today announced that DCP’s online, interactive Population FactFinder tool has been updated to include detailed demographic statistics from the 2020 Census, and characteristics from the 2018-2022 five-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates. Never before had the Census Bureau published detailed race and ethnicity for all groups – Black and White respondents were not given the opportunity to further specify after marking their race on the 2010 Census questionnaire. Now this historic 2020 Census release has been incorporated into DCP's Population FactFinder application, revealing the astounding breadth of New York City’s diversity.

“The Department of City Planning is committed to making the data we collect transparent, and through these updates to Population FactFinder, we’re putting even more information at people’s fingertips. It’s another example of how we’re celebrating the melting pot that makes New York New York,” said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick.

Population FactFinder provides a detailed look at the city’s population, including such characteristics as age, race/Hispanic origin, and housing tenure. Thanks to these updates, New Yorkers can compare information from the 2010 and 2020 Censuses, showing change over time in a straightforward format. The site offers a clear, easy-to-navigate way for the public to research and understand the diversity of neighborhoods, and how they compare to New York City as a whole.

Making use of the latest data from the United States Census Bureau, Population FactFinder now shows population counts for detailed race and ethnic groups, which can be examined for various geographies, including census tracts, Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (NTAs), Community Districts, City Council Districts, boroughs, and user defined areas.

Thanks to this update, the public can use Population FactFinder to discover wide-ranging demographic information that speaks to the diversity of New York City. For example:

• African American is the largest origin group in New York City, followed by Dominican, Chinese, Puerto Rican, and Italian.
• The largest Hispanic group in Queens is Ecuadorian. In the Bronx and Manhattan, it is Dominican. And in Brooklyn and Staten Island, it is Puerto Rican.
• Washington Heights is the neighborhood with the largest Dominican population.
• Jamaica is home to the largest number of people identifying as Bangladeshi.
• South Ozone Park is the city’s top Guyanese neighborhood.
• A quarter of Staten Island’s population identifies as Italian – the 2nd highest share for any U.S. county.

2020 Census updates are also available in DCP’s Population MapViewer, which allows the public to view these populations across neighborhoods in maps and ranked charts.

Population FactFinder has also been updated with the American Community Survey’s 2018-2022 five-year estimate, incorporating characteristics not featured in the decennial census, such as educational attainment, veteran status, computers and Internet use, occupation, and other detailed economic and housing statistics. These data updates in Population FactFinder are now also available for City Council Districts.

DCP will continue to update Population FactFinder and Population MapViewer regularly as new Census data are released, keeping researchers, policymakers, and communities up-to-date on this critical information.

Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.