What The Data Tells Us About New Yorkers


New York State has a rich history of politics, food, activism, economic prosperity, and so much more! The state invites people from all over the nation and world to explore themselves and offers respite to many. New York State offers a huge variety of urban landscapes and rural escapes.

Data about New York State offers us insight into the people living in New York.

Let’s take a look at what the data shows us here.

People Are Moving Back in After the Pandemic

The metropolis began to experience more mobility than most of the nation when the U.S. momentarily became stagnant due to COVID-19, with most of it moving out. This departure from several NYC areas has now reversed. In contrast, according to moving statistics given by Melissa, a worldwide data address and intelligence analytics business, more families are coming into Manhattan today than were moving prior to the epidemic in 2019, even though the city’s population is still declining.

In the early stages of the epidemic, New York City had one of the most significant drops in population and one of the quickest recoveries.

The biggest U.S. city has a difficult path ahead of it because of a shrinking general population, poor office return rates that endanger corporate sustainability, and a fear of crime that keeps people from relocating there. However, according to the statistics, the most dramatic migratory trends have already begun to reverse, making last year’s fall appear like a fluke from the pandemic period.

The New York State Is Essentially White

Almost 70% of the population in New York state is white. Here is the breakdown for race in New York:

  • African American: 17.6%
  • Indigenous Americans: 1%
  • Asian: 9.3%
  • Latino or Hispanic: 19.5% 

Many believe that New York is quite a hot pot of different people from all over the world, but the breakdown of data shows that the state is essentially occupied by white people.

But New York City Is Quite Diverse

Did you know that New Yorkers speak over 800 languages?

You can’t look at data about the state without looking at its biggest city’s diverse population. The inhabitants of the city can communicate in almost 800 different languages.

A third of New York homes are foreign-born, and almost half of all households speak over one language. One in every 38 Americans also calls New York home, making it the U.S. city with the largest population.

New York’s many cultural influences make the city what it is.

It’s Perfect for Bird Watchers

Yes, there are more birds in New York than just pigeons. According to experts, the biggest city alone is home to over 275 different bird species. That proportion is relatively high, given that there are just 800 distinct bird species in America.

The majority of the birds in New York may be found at Central Park if you are an avid birdwatcher. Based on the time of year, you could see Eastern Screech Owls, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and many herons.

The City is 22% Parks!

If you’ve ever been to New York City, you’ve probably seen the beauty of the parks in the city. Undoubtedly, the city recognizes the significance of public parks and takes appropriate action. 22% of the city is set aside for public parks.

Additionally, 99% of New York City folks live less than 10 minutes from a park, and the city likewise boasts some of the most stunning local parks in the nation.

New York Has Had Settlers for 12,000 Years

The Paleo-Indians were the first people to ever live in the Americas. Around 13,000–15,000 years ago, the immigrants crossed the Bering Strait to reach the Americas.

They progressively expanded throughout the North American continent after crossing from far eastern modern-day Russia towards Alaska. They traveled throughout the continent in quest of better food supplies since they were primarily hunter-gatherers. They arrived in the area known as New York today around about 10,000 BC.

It Has the Biggest Mass Transit System in the World

Among the most well-known sites in New York City is the Grand Central Terminal, which is situated in the center of Manhattan. Since it was opened to the general public in 1913, the station has seen a steady influx of passengers.

Given its number and size of platforms, the entire building occupies 49.95 acres, making it the biggest railway terminal in the world.

The city’s subway system is so extensive that it would take 24 hours to navigate. 

And that’s only if you’re pressed for time. The New York City subway system is among the world’s most extensive urban mass transit networks, with 469 stations and 34 lines. You will need at least 21 hours and 49 minutes to reach each station (without exiting the transportation system); if you can complete the journey in less time, it will be a new record!

It’s Quite Rich Here

More billionaires reside in New York than anywhere around the globe. The rich find an aspect of New York to be appealing. Additionally, the city is home to over 380,000 millionaires.

The nice thing about this data collection is that it’s not always possible to discern the wealthy from the others; you will never know who you’ll be riding the train with or dining with.

It’s a Mecca for Food-Lovers but Many Go Hungry

New York has the sixth-highest concentration of restaurants, with Michelin stars in the world at 69 locations! Eleven Madison Park is the most famous, with three stars that food lovers should definitely visit.

But it’s not just high-end restaurants that you should know about. New York is the hub of pizza too! Few people are aware that New York City was home to the nation’s first-ever pizzeria, despite everyone agreeing that visiting the city would be incomplete without eating the iconic pizza.

Pizza was the most passionately loved food in America when Genaro Lombardi, a native of Italy, opened the famous Lombardi’s Pizza in 1905.

Today, Lombardi’s Pizza is still open for business. They continue to produce some of the most incredible pizzas in New York City. This is impressive, given that there are 1,600 pizzerias in this fantastic city.

In total, the city itself has over 27,000 restaurants!

However, there are still many people in the state that go hungry every single day. 1 in 10 people in New York faces hunger. It is sadder to find that 1 in 7 children is facing hunger. The average cost of a basic meal in the state is $3.52, so the state needs around a billion dollars annually to meet the food needs of the population.

Nevertheless, New York still follows the Pizza Principle to keep at least its famous pizza cheap for people. The Pizza Principle, a little-known economic theory, contends that the price of a subway journey and a piece of pizza should stay about the same. In fact, for over half a century, the price of these two things has been growing concurrently.

The theory still applies as a one-way metro ticket now costs $2.75, and you can locate a slice for that amount.

It’s Quite Expensive All-Around

Anyone who has visited or lived in New York City will confirm that this remarkable stat barely requires an explanation. The Big Apple often makes lists of the most expensive cities worldwide, and in 2021 it ranked sixth. Yikes!

Housing is the primary concern for citizens of New York City (and the budget). Rents fell during the epidemic, but prices have soared back up. NYC rent costs have increased by 34.4% in the last year! This rise outpaces that of Seattle condos (+21%) and doubles that of San Francisco rentals (+17%) compared to similar cities.

66 Million People Come to Visit

Visitors worldwide go to New York City for its entertainment, museums, dining, and shopping. Major sporting events like the New York City Marathon and U.S. Open are also held in the City, along with conferences and trade exhibitions.

Over 376,800 jobs are supported by New York City’s tourist industry, making it a vital part of the local economy (consisting of nearly 10% of private sector employment). The sector runs as a dynamic ecology of attractions, including performances, shopping, events, and cuisine, held together by the essential infrastructures of transportation and hospitality.

The key indicators of an industry’s success are visitors and tourist expenditure. The number of tourists to New York City fell by 67% in 2020, and overall spending fell by 73% after hitting a record level of 66.6 million in 2019 and generating $47.4 billion in revenue. According to the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), the state lost $1.2 billion in tax income as a result of the decline in expenditure.

In Conclusion

New York state is a beautiful hodge-podge of people, opinions, and cultures. It will surely welcome you too if you go there to visit or even move there.

The McClain Family

We hope we helped. Please let us know of any place that you want to know about in NYS or if we did a poor job with any part of this. Our goal is to help as many people as possible.

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