The New York metropolitan area is the largest in the United States and the third largest in the world (after Tokyo and Mexico City).
New York Metropolitan Area | |
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Population | 21,858,830 (2,004 est.) [1] |
The metropolitan area includes the seven counties that constitute New York City and Long Island, thirteen counties in northern New Jersey, six counties north of New York City in New York State, three counties in southwestern Connecticut, and one county in northeastern Pennsylvania. The area is sometimes referred to as the Tri-state Area (leaving out Pennsylvania).
The metropolitan area is defined by the United States Census Bureau as the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with an estimated population (as of 2004) of 18,709,802. The MSA is further subdivided into four metropolitan divisions. The largest urbanized area in the United States is at the heart of the metropolitan area, the New York--Newark, NY--NJ--CT Urbanized Area (with a population of 17,799,861 as of 2000). Based on commuting patterns, the Census Bureau also defines a wider functional metropolitan area, the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with an estimated population of 21,858,830 (as of 2004).
The New York metropolitan area includes the largest city in the United States (New York), the five largest cities in New Jersey (Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth and Trenton) and the largest city in Connecticut (Bridgeport).
The total land area of the extended metropolitan area is 11,842 sq. mi. (30,671 km²).
Components of the metropolitan area
New York-Wayne-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division
Edison, NJ Metropolitan Division
Rest of the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT Combined Statistical Area
The counties and county groupings comprising the New York metropolitan area are listed below with 2004 U.S. Census Bureau estimates of their populations.
New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area (21,858,830)
- New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (18,709,802)
- New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division (11,450,384)
- Kings County, NY (2,475,290)
- Queens County, NY (2,237,216)
- New York County, NY (1,562,723)
- Bronx County, NY (1,365,536)
- Westchester County, NY (942,444)
- Bergen County, NJ (902,998)
- Hudson County, NJ (606,240)
- Passaic County, NJ (500,427)
- Richmond County, NY (463,314)
- Rockland County, NY (293,626)
- Putnam County, NY (100,570)
- Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division (2,815,129)
- Suffolk County (1,475,488)
- Nassau County (1,339,641)
- Edison, NJ Metropolitan Division (2,291,394)
- Middlesex County (785,095)
- Monmouth County (636,298)
- Ocean County (553,251)
- Somerset County (316,750)
- Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division (2,152,895)
- Essex County, NJ (796,684)
- Union County, NJ (531,957)
- Morris County, NJ (488,173)
- Sussex County, NJ (152,218)
- Hunterdon County, NJ (129,746)
- Pike County, PA (54,117)
- New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division (11,450,384)
- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area (903,291)
- Fairield County (903,291)
- New Haven-Milford, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area (845,694)
- New Haven County (845,694)
- Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (663,747)
- Orange County (370,352)
- Dutchess County (293,395)
- Trenton-Ewing, NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area (365,271)
- Mercer County (365,271)
- Torrington, CT Micropolitan Statistical Area (189,246)
- Litchfield County (189,246)
- Kingston, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (181,779)
- Ulster County (181,779)
Census Bureau Rankings
Rank | Combined Statistical Area | States | 2004 Population |
---|---|---|---|
1 | New York-Newark-Bridgeport | NY-NJ-CT-PA | 21,858,830 |
Rank | Metropolitan Statistical Area | State(s) | 2004 Population |
---|---|---|---|
1 | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | NY-NJ-PA | 18,709,802 |
53 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk | CT | 903,291 |
57 | New Haven-Milford | CT | 845,694 |
73 | Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown | NY | 663,747 |
132 | Trenton-Ewing | NJ | 365,271 |
212 | Kingston | NY | 181,779 |
Rank | Micropolitan Statistical Area | State | 2004 Population |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Torrington | CT | 189,246 |
The principal urban areas which are located within the metropolitan area are:
Rank | Urbanized Area | State(s) | 2000 Population |
---|---|---|---|
1 | New York--Newark | NY--NJ--CT | 17,799,861 |
42 | Bridgeport--Stamford | CT--NY | 888,890 |
70 | New Haven | CT | 531,314 |
90 | Poughkeepsie--Newburgh | NY | 351,982 |
122 | Trenton | NJ | 268,472 |
163 | Waterbury | CT | 189,026 |
190 | Danbury | CT--NY | 154,455 |
350 | Hightstown | NJ | 69,977 |
435 | Kingston | NY | 53,458 |
New York City and Long Island
New York City (2004 population of 8,168,338) is composed of the boroughs of:
Borough | Coterminous county |
Predominant ___location |
2004 Population |
---|---|---|---|
Brooklyn | Kings | Long Island | 2,475,290 |
Queens | Queens | Long Island | 2,237,216 |
Manhattan | New York | Manhattan Island | 1,562,723 |
The Bronx | Bronx | Mainland of the continent | 1,365,536 |
Staten Island | Richmond | Staten Island | 463,314 |
Most of four counties are located on Long Island (2004 population, including the small part of these counties not on Long Island, of 7,527,635)
County | In New York City? | 2004 Population |
---|---|---|
Kings | Yes | 2,475,290 |
Queens | Yes | 2,237,216 |
Suffolk | No | 1,475,488 |
Nassau | No | 1,339,641 |
Sixty-three percent of the population (13,730,534) lives in the 43% of the land area that is east of the Ambrose Channel/The Narrows/Hudson River.
Thirty-seven percent of the population (8,128,296) lives in the 57% of the land area that is west of the Ambrose Channel/The Narrows/Hudson River.
County Densities
County | State | Core Based Statistical Area | 2004 Population |
Area (miles²) |
Density (people/mile²) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 1,562,723 | 23 | 68,084 |
Kings | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 2,475,290 | 71 | 34,930 |
Bronx | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 1,365,536 | 42 | 32,492 |
Queens | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 2,237,216 | 109 | 20,615 |
Hudson | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 606,240 | 47 | 12,984 |
Richmond | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 463,314 | 58 | 7,923 |
Essex | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 796,684 | 126 | 6,310 |
Union | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 531,957 | 103 | 5,150 |
Nassau | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 1,339,641 | 287 | 4,670 |
Bergen | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 902,998 | 231 | 3,908 |
Passaic | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 500,427 | 185 | 2,704 |
Middlesex | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 785,095 | 310 | 2,535 |
Westchester | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 942,444 | 433 | 2,177 |
Rockland | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 293,626 | 174 | 1,685 |
Suffolk | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 1,475,488 | 912 | 1,617 |
Mercer | NJ | Trenton-Ewing | 365,271 | 226 | 1,615 |
Fairfield | CT | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk | 903,291 | 626 | 1,443 |
New Haven | CT | New Haven-Milford | 845,694 | 606 | 1,396 |
Monmouth | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 636,298 | 472 | 1,348 |
Morris | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 488,173 | 469 | 1,041 |
Somerset | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 316,750 | 305 | 1,040 |
Ocean | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 553,251 | 636 | 869 |
Orange | NY | Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown | 370,352 | 816 | 454 |
Putnam | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 100,570 | 231 | 435 |
Dutchess | NY | Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown | 293,395 | 802 | 366 |
Hunterdon | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 129,746 | 428 | 303 |
Sussex | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 152,218 | 521 | 292 |
Litchfield | CT | Torrington | 189,246 | 920 | 206 |
Ulster | NY | Kingston | 181,779 | 1,126 | 161 |
Pike | PA | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 54,117 | 547 | 99 |
Major cities
There are 10 cities in the New York Metropolitan Area that have a population greater than 100,000 (with 2004 U.S. Census Bureau incorporated place rank and population and county):
Rank | City | County | State | Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2004 Population |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | New York | Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx and Richmond | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 8,104,079 |
65 | Newark | Essex | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 280,451 |
72 | Jersey City | Hudson | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 239,079 |
101 | Yonkers | Westchester | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 197,126 |
148 | Paterson | Passaic | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 150,869 |
166 | Bridgeport | Fairfield | CT | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk | 139,910 |
187 | New Haven | New Haven | CT | New Haven-Milford | 124,829 |
189 | Elizabeth | Union | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 124,724 |
194 | Stamford | Fairfield | CT | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk | 120,226 |
221 | Waterbury | New Haven | CT | New Haven-Milford | 108,429 |
Other cities with populations between 50,000 and 100,000 in the New York metropolitan area include (incorporated places 2004 pop., CDP 2000 pop. - all in order of 2000 pop.):
City | County | State | Metropolitan Statistical Area | Population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Edison CDP | Middlesex | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 97,687 |
Toms River CDP | Ocean | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 86,327 |
Trenton | Mercer | NJ | Trenton-Ewing | 85,379 |
Norwalk | Fairfield | CT | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk | 84,401 |
Clifton | Passaic | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 79,944 |
Danbury | Fairfield | CT | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk | 78,263 |
New Rochelle | Westchester | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 72,985 |
East Orange | Essex | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 68,930 |
Mount Vernon | Westchester | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 68,321 |
Passaic | Passaic | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 68,662 |
Union City | Hudson | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 66,167 |
Bayonne | Hudson | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 60,748 |
Irvington CDP | Essex | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 60,695 |
Meriden | New Haven | CT | New Haven-Milford | 59,136 |
Hempstead | Nassau | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 53,145 |
Union CDP | Union | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 54,405 |
Wayne CDP | Passaic | NJ | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 54,069 |
Brentwood CDP | Suffolk | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 53,917 |
White Plains | Westchester | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 56,509 |
Levittown CDP | Nassau | NY | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island | 53,067 |
West Haven | New Haven | CT | New Haven-Milford | 53,087 |
Milford city (balance) | New Haven | CT | New Haven-Milford | 52,726 |
Transportation
Commuter rail
The metropolitan area is partly defined by the areas from which people commute into the city. New York City is served by three primary commuter train systems, Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Line plus the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Rail Service (PATH):
- The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), part of the MTA, which runs the length of Long Island. This is the busiest commuter railroad in the United States [2].
- Serves New York, Kings and Queens, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
- Major terminals are Pennsylvania Station in New York County, Flatbush Avenue in Kings County and Hunterspoint Avenue in Queens County. A major transfer point is at Jamaica Station in Queens County.
- See a map here.
- Metro North, part of the MTA, the second busiest commuter railroad in the United States [3], which runs five lines:
- Two through Manhattan and Bronx, and Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties (Hudson and Harlem lines);
- One through Westchester, Fairfield and New Haven Counties (New Haven Line, plus its three branches) which is operated in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Transportation;
- Two west of the Hudson River operated in conjunction with New Jersey Transit serving Hudson, Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Orange Counties (Pascack Valley Line and Port Jervis Line).
- The major terminal for the three lines that run east of the Hudson River is Grand Central Terminal in New York County. The major terminals for the two lines operated in conjunction with New Jersey Transit are Hoboken Terminal in Hudson County and Pennsylvania Station in New York County. A major transfer point for these west of the Hudson lines is Secaucus Junction in Hudson County.
- See a map here.
- New Jersey Transit (NJT), the third busiest commuter railroad in the United States by passenger miles and also third in trips when direct operated and purchased transportation services are both included (fourth if ony direct operated are included). [4], which runs seven lines in the New York Metro Area:
- One serving New York, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Morris and Warren Counties (Montclair-Boonton Line).
- One serving New York, Hudson, Essex, Union, Morris, Somerset and Warren Counties (Morris and Essex Line]]).
- One serving Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon Counties (Raritan Valley Line).
- One serving New York, Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex and Mercer Counties (Northeast Corridor Line).
- One serving New York, Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties (North Jersey Coast Line).
- Two operated in conjunction with Metro North serving Hudson, Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Orange Counties (Pascack Valley Line and Main and Bergen County Line).
- The major terminals are Hoboken Terminal in Hudson County, Pennsylvania Station in Essex County and Pennsylvania Station in New York County. A major transfer point is Secaucus Junction in Hudson County.
- Also operates a light rail in Hudson and Bergen Counties.
- One line is also operated in the Philadelphia Metro Area.
- See a railroad map here and a light rail map here.
- Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which offers service to Philadelphia and Cornwells Heights, north of Philadelphia in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
- Port Authority Trans-Hudson Rail Service (PATH): Serves the counties of New York, Hudson and Essex. See a map here.
Major highways
- Interstate 95
- Interstate 495 (New York)
- Interstate 87
- Interstate 287
- Interstate 80
- Interstate 78
- Interstate 278
- Interstate 84
- Interstate 684
- U.S. Route 1
- U.S. Route 9
- New York State Route 27
- Hutchinson River Parkway/Route 15 (Connecticut)
- Taconic State Parkway
- Palisades Interstate Parkway
- Garden State Parkway
Major airports
The metropolitan area is served by three major airports:
And several midsize airports with regularly scheduled service on major airlines:
And two large general aviation airports:
Airport | IATA code | ICAO code | County | State |
---|---|---|---|---|
Teterboro Airport | TEB | KTEB | Bergen | New Jersey |
Orange County Airport | MGJ | KMGJ | Orange | New York |
See also
Ethnic diversity
New York City has long been very ethnically diverse. In the 19th Century, the New York Area was in the main been divided among Italians, Irish, German, Polish, and Jewish populations. African Americans also have a long-standing presence in New York City, increasing particularly at the end of the 19th Century with the arrival of waves of internal migrants from the Southern United States.
Thanks to successive waves of immigration beginning in the early 20th Century the area's diversity continues to grow. The states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are all ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing immigration states in America, and great numbers of recent immigrants from across East Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean now call the New York metropolitan area home. While prominent ethnic neighborhoods in the region are too numerous to list, there are multiple neighborhoods with large Chinese, Russian, Korean, Indian, and Pakistani populations. The cuisines of virtually every ethnic group on the planet are at least partially represented in the area, with the culinary landscape of New York changing slightly from year to year as new arrivals settle in.
The New York metropolitan area hosts a religious diversity in line with its ethnic diversity. Houses of worship exist for numerous Christian denominations, especially Catholicism but also various churches within both Orthodoxy and Protestantism. New York has a large Jewish population, and is a major center of Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism, and is home to the headquarters of many Hasidic movements, particularly in the borough of Brooklyn. Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, and many other world religions have formal houses of worship in New York.
Local politics
The neutrality of this section is disputed. |
Individual politics in the New York Metropolitan area vary greatly, but coexisting in such a huge population of many diverse cultures and backgrounds requires a large amount of tolerance for differing worldviews. As a result, the residents of the Tri-state area are traditionally very liberal. More recently, the attacks of September 11th have made New Yorkers much more security-minded. Also, the spiraling crime rates and the inner-city crack cocaine epidemic of the 1970s and 80s gave New York City a reputation of ruthlessness and vice. The public backlash against this ushered in an era of strong policing and determined leadership under New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the mid to late 1990's. Through his guidance and not-so-polite methods of pushing through "quality of life" policing, coupled with Police Commissioner William J. Bratton's implementation of a more computer and data driven police force (known as COMPSTAT), violent crime in the city dropped to levels not seen since the 1950s. As a result, a new synthesis has begun to emerge across the metropolitan area. New Yorkers remain some of the most culturally liberal people in the United States, but many also now appreciate the need for practical policy measures that protect their way of life from terrorism, violent crime, and economic malaise.
Four of the city's five boroughs (Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens) are predominantly towards the Democratic Party, while one (Staten Island) trends Republican. The city has elected two Republican mayors, Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, consecutively since 1994. However, they are both liberal Republicans, or how it has become known New York Republican, as compared to the New York Conservative Party, which cross-endorses many more conservative Republicans in the state, especially statewide candidates and legislators. Despite this, the overwhelming majority of congressmen and city council members are Democratic. This divide reflects the diverse views held by New York City's millions of residents.
The urban areas of adjacent New Jersey are predominantly Democratic, including Hudson County (Jersey City, Hoboken), Essex County (Newark, the Oranges), and Passaic County (Paterson). The suburban areas of the New York metropolitan region are fairly evenly divided between communities that trend to the Democrats and those that favor Republicans-- at least in local and state politics. However, most of these suburbs have been trending strongly toward the Democrats in recent years, especially in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, whereas the suburbs of many other cities are still strongly Republican. Nationally, there is a definite preference for the Democrats by people in the New York region.
Overall, Greater New York's voters voted for John Kerry, by 59.20% (4,772,314) to 39.67% (3,197,970) for George W. Bush in 2004. In details, New York City voters overwhelmingly favored Kerry by 75% (1,828,015) to 24% (587,534) for the incumbent, while suburban voters gave only a slim margin to the Democratic candidate, with 52.36% (2,944,299) of the vote for Kerry, to 46.42% (2,610,436) for Bush, though Kerry's margin in Westchester was among the largest anywhere in New York outside the city proper.
The New York City area is notoriously multifarious. While the city itself has some bad areas, and some of the inner metropolitan cities have poor reputations, the New York Metro Area is overall one of the safest areas to live in. Long Island, New York was rated the safest place to live per-capita in 2005, followed by Middlesex and Monmouth counties in New Jersey. New York City itself has been ranked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the safest big city in the United States in recent years. Much of this (especially in the inner city areas) can be credited to major "quality of life" initiatives passed in the 1990s; back in the 1970s the area had a reputation (exaggerated but not unfounded) as one of the most dangerous areas of the U.S. to live in.
- The New York Metro area is also the second most expensive place to live in the United States, trailing behind only Boston, the city itself being the most costly, with many of its suburbs closely behind. Connecticut, where half of the state is considered a suburb of New York, is home to some of the most expensive and affluent areas in the world.
- Because of this the New York area is also very wealthy, and is expensive because it is so desirable to live in. Westchester County, New York, Fairfield County, Connecticut and Bergen County, New Jersey are among America's wealthiest counties -- and are all located just outside of Manhattan.
- Despite New York's improving reputation, many families live in the suburbs and commute to jobs in the city. Most school districts in New York City itself and other nearby "inner-city" communities have a reputation for being unsatisfactory; however, many school districts in the wealthier suburbs are considered very effective and among the best in the entire country. In some of the Connecticut and especially the New Jersey suburbs, this is achieved with lower costs of living than the city itself (especially Manhattan).
References
- [5], Table 1.