The first table illustrates changes in the population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. The other two tables depict how the population changed across five areas of the city during this time period.
Overall, New York City experienced massive population growth over the two centuries. While Manhattan was initially the most populated district, this trend reversed completely, with the other four districts housing the vast majority of the city’s inhabitants by the year 2000.
In detail, the total population of New York City surged from just 79,216 in 1800 to over 3.4 million in 1900. This growth continued, and by 2000, the city’s population had more than doubled again, reaching approximately 8 million.
In 1800, Manhattan accounted for 76% of the city’s residents with a population of 60,515. Although its population grew to a peak of 1,850,093 in 1900, its share of the city’s total population fell to 54%. By 2000, Manhattan’s population had decreased to about 1.5 million, representing only 19% of the city’s total. In contrast, the other four districts grew exponentially. Their combined population jumped from a mere 18,701 in 1800 to nearly 6.5 million by 2000. Consequently, their share of the city’s population rocketed from 24% to a dominant 81% over the same period.