Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Census Data: Manhattan Less Diverse, More White
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 26, 2010
Modified Dec 26, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 26, 2010
Modified Dec 26, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The News is spending their blizzard day locked inside their offices crunching the census numbers, and they've come to some conclusions: Manhattan is losing its diversity, and new white residents in Harlem feel that blacks don't like them. Overall, Manhattan's population has increased by five percent since 2000, and they credit that to the white population rising by an estimated 11 percent to around 928,000 in the past decade, while the number of blacks dropped by six percent, to less than 250,000, and the Hispanic populations dropped four percent, to just under 400,000.
They particularly focus on the changing face of Harlem, where whites increased from two percent of the neighborhood's population to 9.8 percent since 2000. During the same period, the black population shrank from 61.2 percent to 54.4 percent. They recount the woes of 21-year-old anecdotal evidence #1, white actress Kaitlin Heath. Heath, who moved to Harlem last year, laments how she has been reminded time and again that she is a newcomer to the neighborhood; people even "say snide stuff and white jokes when I pass by on the street." Of course, she also gives quotes like, "It's incredible. I love thinking about all the stuff that has happened here," about her $2,350 a month, three-bedroom apartment on 119th St. and St. Nicholas Ave. We can't imagine why longtime residents might not be so charmed by her.
Tagged
black
census
harlem
manhattan
white
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
Neighbors had complained of traffic and loud concerts for years.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 22, 2026
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."
By
Elizabeth Kim
NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
By
Charles Lane
Ex-Adams aide accused of pocketing kickbacks from community program funds
By
Samantha Max
MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .