According to population estimates from the 2020 US Census, New York State is the fourth most populous state in the country, housing more than 20 million people (20,201,249). Within the state, approximately 45% of the population, or almost 9 million people (8,804,190), reside in New York City.

Density

Estimates from the 2020 Census indicate that there are 428.7 people per square mile in New York State. The most densely populated counties include New York County (74,782 persons per square mile), Kings County (39,438 persons per square mile), and Bronx County (34,920 persons per square mile). In addition to counties in NYC, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley region, other densely populated counties include Erie County, Monroe County, Onondaga County, Schenectady County, and Albany County.

According to Census estimates, New York State’s population as a whole has grown between 2010 and 2020 at a rate of 4.2%. This statistic, however, masks significant variation observed at the regional level. While NYC, Long Island, Mid-Hudson, Capital District, Western New York, and Finger Lakes experienced population gains between 2010 and 2020, Central New York, Mohawk Valley, North Country, and Southern Tier experienced population losses between 1% to 3%.

Diversity

New York State is home to a highly diverse population. Across all states, New York ranks third in terms of having the highest percentage of foreign-born people. According to data from the 2020 Census, 22.4% of New York State’s population is foreign born.

Of New York State’s 20,201,249 residents, approximately 54.7% of individuals identify as White alone, 19.5% identify as Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% identify as Black or African American, 9.3% identify as Asian alone, 1.0% identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% identify as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Compared to national estimates, New York State has a higher percentage of non-Hispanic Black, Asian residents, and Hispanic residents.

Selected counties in NYC have the highest percentage of Black or African American residents. According to the 2020 American Community Survey, 30 to 40% of residents living in both Kings County and Bronx County identify as Black or African American. Larger population centers including Rochester (Monroe County), Westchester (Westchester County),  Buffalo (Erie County), Albany (Albany County), and Rockland County also have higher percentages of Black or African residents compared to the rest of the state.

For the state’s Hispanic and Latino population, counties in NYC, Long Island, and Mid-Hudson have the highest percentages. Bronx County ranks highest across the state with approximately 56% of the total county population identifying as Hispanic or Latino.

Immigration

2020 Census estimates indicate that 22.4% of New York State’s population (4,372,167) is foreign born. Among this group, 58.4% (2,551,469) are naturalized citizens while 41.6% (1,820,698) are non-citizens. The largest percentage of foreign-born individuals migrated from the Americas (49.6%), Asia (29.5%), and Europe (15.9%). In addition to counties surrounding NYC, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley, counties with larger population centers, including Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany, have higher percentages of foreign-born residents.

Households and Families

According to five-year estimates from the 2020 American Community Survey, there are 7,417,224 households in New York State, with an average of 2.55 people per household. Of these households, 44% (3,259,898) are married couple families, and 56% (4,157,326) are non-family households. Approximately 29% (2,147,352) of all households have at least one child under the age of 18.

Income and Poverty

Five-year estimates from 2020 American Community Survey reveal that the median household income in New York State is $71,117. Counties with the highest income levels are heavily concentrated in NYC, Long Island, and Mid-Hudson. Nassau County, in particular, ranks highest in the state with a median household income level above $100,000.

Median household income has increased steadily since 2010 ($54,047). However, income levels vary significantly by race. The average median household income is $70,712 for Whites, $68,567 for Asians, $43,997 for Blacks or African Americans, $43,889 for Hispanics or Latinos, and $40,043 for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Income inequality has also increased over time in the state. The Gini coefficient has risen from 0.499 in 2010 to 0.516 in 2017. According to 2020 Census Bureau estimates, New York State ranks highest among all states in terms of income inequality.

According to 2020 estimates from the American Community Survey, 12.7% of New York State’s population is living below the federal poverty line. Counties with the highest percentage of families falling below the threshold are concentrated in the NYC region, particularly in Bronx County (26.76%) and Kings County (17.87%).

Age Distribution

The median age in New York State is 39. Approximately 21% (4,071,142) of the population is under 18 years of age, and roughly 16.5% (3,221,702) of the population is 65 years or older. The median age has increased over the past decade, rising from 37.7 in 2007 to 39 in 2020.

Women of Childbearing Age

Estimates from the 2020 American Community Survey indicate that there are 4,667,868 women of childbearing age (15-50 years), representing 46% of the total female population.

Children

Of New York State’s 20,201,249 residents, 5.8% of the population is under the age of 5 and 20.9% of the population is under the age of 18. According to 2019 estimates from the Kids Count Data Center, approximately 18% of all children in the state are living with families below the federal poverty line. Further, 12% of children are living with families where no parent has regular, full-time employment.

Education

According to 2020-21 school year data published by the New York State Department of Education, 2,512,973 children are enrolled in K-12 public schools. Approximately 41% (1,036,391) of public school students are White, 28% (715,474) are Hispanic, and 16% (413,883) are Black or African American.

The high school graduation rate for all public school students is 86%. However, graduation rates vary significantly by ethnicity. While 90% of white students graduate, only 80% of Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino students graduate from high school. Additionally, graduation rates differ based on migrant status. The graduation rate for migrant is 63%, compared to 86% for not migrant.

In terms of educational attainment of adults (ages 25 and over), approximately 25.5% of the population has a high school diploma or GED, 20.9% of the population has a bachelor’s degree, and 16.5% of the population has a graduate degree. The percentage of individuals with a bachelor’s or graduate degree has increased over the past decade while the percentage of individuals with a high school diploma or less has decreased.

Language

According to five-year estimates from the 2020 American Community Survey, approximately 69% of the population over the age of 5 (12,799,886) speaks only English. Of the 5,574,294 residents that speak a language other than English, 14.7% speak Spanish, 8.7% speak other Indo-European languages, and 5.1% speak Asian and Pacific Island languages. Approximately 13.1% of the population who speaks a language other than English report that they speak English less than “very well.”

Health Care

Approximately 5.4% of the non-elderly population (ages 0-64) in New York State has no health insurance. Estimates from the 2020 American Community Survey reveal that uninsured rates vary significantly by ethnicity. While only 3.9% of Whites are uninsured, 10.3% of Hispanics, 11.6% of American Indians or Alaska Natives, 6.6% of Asians, 9.3% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, and 6.1% of Blacks have no health insurance coverage.

Ensuring access to health care by making affordable health insurance available is one of the critical accomplishments of the Governor’s health care agenda. As part of this agenda NYS expanded access to Medicaid and created The NY State of Health (NYSOH), the state’s official health plan marketplace, was created to assist New Yorkers to gain access to quality affordable health care coverage.

Public Health Prevention Agenda

Further commitment to improving the health of all New Yorkers is evident in the NYS Prevention Agenda (PA) that was developed in conjunction with the Public Health Committee of the NYS Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC), and in partnership with more than 140 organizations across the state. The PA focuses on eliminating the profound health disparities across all priority areas including preventing chronic diseases; promoting a healthy and safe environment; promoting healthy women, infants, and children; promoting wellbeing and preventing mental and substance use disorders; and preventing communicable diseases. Title V MCHSBG staff directed the update in the PA 2019-2024 related to Promoting Healthy Women, Infants and Children and worked to ensure the alignment with NYS’s Title V MCHSBG State Action Plan. The vision for the 2019-2024 PA highlights a Health in All Policies approach and a focus on healthy aging.