Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that the City's population has reached an all-time high of 8,250,567. As a result of the City's fourth consecutive successful challenge of the U.S. Census Bureau's annual population estimates, the Bureau upwardly revised New York City's July 2006 population by more than 36,100 persons, and combined with previous challenges the population has been raised by nearly 200,000 persons over the past four years. The challenges were based on data analysis by the Department of City Planning (DCP). The City receives federal funds in proportion to its population, meaning that New York State will receive an additional estimated $77 million in federal funding by 2010 as a result of these Census challenges. The City's continued ability to attract new residents, both native-born Americans and new immigrants, is a testament to the City's successful economic development strategy, dramatic lowering of crime, and much improved education system.

"This population increase is the dividend the City receives for our ongoing investment in public safety, schools, and other government services," said Mayor Bloomberg. "New York City sends far more money to Washington than we get back, but now we will at least not be shortchanged as a result of inaccuracies in Census Bureau population estimates. By analyzing and challenging the Census Bureau's findings, we are able to ensure that vital City programs receive the appropriate level of federal funding."

The Census Bureau reported earlier this year that the City's population had increased to 8,214,426, but the City challenged the Census Bureau's estimates for all five boroughs. The Bureau today accepted the City's higher population estimates for each borough with the highest percent difference in the Bronx, where DCP accounted for nearly 10,000 more people.

Much of the estimated $77 million in additional federal aid to New York State comes to the City to fund affordable housing being developed under the Administration's New Housing Marketplace Program to create and preserve affordable homes and apartments for a half million New Yorkers.

The challenges are prepared using a housing unit-based method that shows the link between the City's booming housing market and increased population. The housing-unit method is the same approach that was used in previous successful challenges. This methodology tends to be more accurate for New York City than the Census Bureau's method, which tries to estimate certain components of the population, such as in- and out-migration, that are difficult to measure.

In previous years, the Census Bureau has accepted the City's calculations, which added 28,500 persons to the July 2003 estimate; 64,300 persons to the July 2004 estimate; 70,600 persons to the July 2005 estimate; and 36,100 persons for the July 2006 estimate - which was officially confirmed today.

Change in Population - Census Bureau and DCP Estimates

Difference Between Census Bureau and DCP Population Estimates