By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Manhattan's population has swelled to 1,585,873, according to the latest census data — a more than 3 percent gain from a decade ago.
According to the data released Thursday, New York City's population now stands at 8,175,133 people — the highest number in history, city officials said.
But the modest 166,000-person gain falls significantly short of a previous estimate of 8.4 million, leading officials to suspect that the census bureau significantly under-counted the number of city residents. They warn that the city will lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding as a result.
The Census numbers, for instance, show that the population of Queens has increased by only 0.1 percent, or 1,300 people, over the past 10 years — while Brooklyn is counted as having grown by just 1.6 percent.
City officials said that number doesn't jibe with what they believe to be true.
"It doesn't make any sense at all," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during a press conference at City Hall. "The numbers are totally incongruous."
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz also voiced his disbelief at the same event.
"I've got to tell you, I'm flabbergasted by these numbers, Mr. Mayor. I think they made a big, big mistake," he said.
Even Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was dismayed, arguing that the numbers shortchange the city's population growth.
"These new census figures are preposterous," he said in a statement, noting that the count "has severe ramifications for the city, when it comes to redistricting and the distribution of crucial social services to those most in need."
The Census Bureau could not immediately be reached for comment.
Joseph Salvo, the city's chief demographer, said there is nothing they can do to formally challenge the numbers. But the mayor said the city will "do everything we can to try to show the Census Bureau where we think they’ve erred."
Manhattan's Neighborhoods
According to a preliminary analysis by the Department of City Planning, the new Census data show that, over the past 10 years, Manhattan's population has shifted.
The Financial District, Battery Park City, and the area that stretches from the Hudson Yards through Chelsea and the Flatiron District have seen substantial growth, as have north-central Harlem and much of the east side of the island.
Washington Heights, meanwhile, has lost between 5,000 to 10,000 people — the most in Manhattan. But, Salvo cautioned that because of the area's large residential population, the decline amounts to only about 2 percent.
Other neighborhoods that have also seen declines are Hamilton Heights, the Upper West Side and the wealthy western side of the Upper East Side. The West Village and Chinatown have also seen drops.
Changing Demographics
The data also reveal the changing racial and ethnic face of both the city and the borough.
Manhattan has become significantly more white over the past decade, with 48 percent of the population now identifying as non-Hispanic white — a jump of 8.2 percent.
The Asian population has also soared 24 percent, and now makes up 11 percent of the population.
The non-Hispanic, black population, meanwhile, has dropped by 12.5 percent since 2000, from 235,000 to 205,000, and now comprises 13 percent of the total population.
The Hispanic population has also decreased by about 14,000 people — or 3.4 percent. About one-quarter of residents now identify as Hispanic, down from just over 27 percent in 2010.
Citywide, the numbers tell a different story. Overall, the white, non-Hispanic population has shrunk by just under 3 percent since 2000, dropping from 35 percent of residents to just over 33 percent. The black, non-Hispanic population also dropped by nearly 101,000 people — a decline of more than 5 percent.
But citywide, the Hispanic population grew by 8 percent, adding nearly 176,000 new residents over the past 10 years. The Asian population has also skyrocketed by nearly 32 percent, with more than 1 million identifiers in 2010 versus 780,000 in 2000. Asians now comprise nearly 13 percent of the city's population, versus less than 10 percent a decade ago.
How we Compare
Despite the disappointing growth, New York City remains, by far, the largest city in the country, and also has 42 percent of the total population of New York State.
The city's 2.1 percent growth rate far outpaced other cities in the state, many of which saw significant decreases, including Buffalo, which shrunk by 10.7 percent.
City officials estimated the under count to range from about 2.7 to 2.8 percent, and blamed the city's hard-to-count housing and large immigrant populations for the misses.
Salvo noted that the census bureau classified a high number of residences as "vacant" in immigrant-heavy areas of Southern Brooklyn and Queens, suggesting that census counters may have knocked on occupied doors that were never answered.
The city's overall response rate was 63 percent, higher than in 2000.
