March 27, 2014 - U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today show that New York City’s population has hit a record high of 8,405,837. The city’s population increased by 230,704 residents or about 2.8 percent over the 2010 mark, based on estimates of the population as of July, 2013. The increase is fueled by people continuing to move to the city, a decline in the number of people leaving the city, as well as the continued surplus of births over deaths due to life expectancy in the city reaching new record highs.

Each of the five boroughs registered gains in population, and both Queens and Staten Island recorded new population highs. The largest change occurred in Brooklyn, where the population grew by 3.5 percent or 87,400 people; followed by Queens (2.9 percent or 65,500 people); Manhattan (2.5 percent or 40,300 people); the Bronx (2.4 percent or 33,600 people); and Staten Island (0.8 percent or 3,900 people).

“These population increases underscore the need to spur creation of housing for all New Yorkers, something which we are focusing on as part of the Mayor’s mandate to provide 200,000 affordable apartments over the next ten years,” said New York City Planning Commission Chairman Carl Weisbrod.

The data also show that “net migration” to the city continues to be positive, meaning that more people are coming to New York City than leaving it.

New York City’s increase since April 2010 represented 84.5 percent of the total population increase in New York State, which slightly increased the city’s share of the state’s population, from 42.2 percent to 42.8 percent.

For more detailed analysis, see www.nyc.gov/planning.