The tables illustrate how the population of New York City and its five districts changed in two centuries, from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, as the total population increased ten-fold, the number of citizens in each district rose as well. Meanwhile, population distribution shifted, as more citizens chose to move to less crowded districts rather than concentrating in Manhattan.
In 1800, Manhattan housed over 60,000 residents, accounting for the vast majority (76%) of New York population. By 1900, this district had successfully maintained its reputation as the most inhabited region of the city, with almost 2 million New Yorkers residing there. However, a century later, the population density in Manhattan significantly dropped, with only 19% of New Yorkers deciding to settle down here, at slightly over one and a half million citizens.
Regarding other districts, including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, their total population was short 19,000 at the beginning of the examined period. Nevertheless, as more people moved to this city, they housed almost half the number of New Yorkers in 1900. Then, the beginning of the 21st century saw a large majority (81%) of citizens settling down in these districts, which housed approximately six and a half million people, out of New York’s eight-million population.