Demographics of New York City

New York City, with a Census-estimated population of 8,584,629 in July 2025, is a large and ethnically diverse metropolis. It is the largest city in the United States, and has a long history of international immigration. The New York region continues to be by far the leading metropolitan gateway for legal immigrants admitted into the United States. The city is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the U . by both population and urban area. With over 20 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York City is one of the world's most populous megacities. The city and its metropolitan area are the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States. New York City enforces a right-to-shelter law guaranteeing shelter to anyone who needs shelter, regardless of their immigration status; and the city is home to more than 3 million residents born outside the U ., the largest foreign-born population of any city in the world as of 2011. Throughout its history, New York City has been a major point of entry for immigrants; the term "melting pot" was coined to describe densely populated immigrant neighborhoods on the Lower East Side. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. English remains the most widely spoken language, although there are areas in the outer boroughs in which up to 25% of people speak English as an alternate language, and/or have limited or no English language fluency. English is least spoken in neighborhoods such as Flushing, Sunset Park, and Corona. New York's two key demographic features are its density and diversity. It is often regarded as one of the most diverse major cities in both the US, and the world, with significant populations of European, Caribbean, Latin American, African, Asian and Middle Eastern Americans all having a major presence within the city and its metropolitan area. The city has an extremely high population density of 26,403 people per square mile (10,194/km2), about 10,000 more people per square mile than the next densest large American city, San Francisco. Manhattan's population density is 66,940 people per square mile (25,846/km2). The city has a long tradition of attracting international immigration and Americans seeking careers in certain sectors. As of 2006, New York City has ranked number one for seven consecutive years as the city most U . residents would most like to live in or near.