Community Profiles Now Include More Places to Explore

We've enhanced the "Places" section of our Community Profiles to make it easier for you to discover popular nearby places.

New York Gazetteer

New York - Basic Information

Became a State: July 26, 1788 - 11st State
Population: 19,378,102 (2010 Census) - Ranks 3rd
Land Area: 47,126.4 square miles - Ranks 30th
Population Density: 411.2 persons per square mile - Ranks 7th
Housing Units: 8,108,103 (2010 Census)
Housing Unit Density: 172.1 housing units per square mile
July 1, 2024 Estimates: New York Data and Demographics
State Capital: Albany
State Website: Official State of New York Website
New York State Flag
New York state flag

Quick & Easy Ways to...

  1. Get Current Demographic Data for Cities, Towns, and ZIP Codes
  2. View Boundary Maps, for Cities, Towns, and ZIP Codes
  3. Locate Physical, Cultural, and Historical Features

Use HTL Address Research for a New York Address and get...

Boundary Maps, Demographic Data, School Zones Review maps and data for the neighborhood, city, county, ZIP Code, and school zone. July 1, 2024, data includes home values, household income, percentage of homes owned, rented or vacant, etc.


New York Neighborhood Explorer

NOTE: The BEST tool for researching a neighborhood is the HTL Address Research Tool (above). However, if you do not have an address, the New York Neighborhood Explorer is the SECOND-BEST-TOOL to research a neighborhood (it provides a subset of the information that the Address Research Tool provides), but you can get a report by simply marking a spot on a map.

The New York Neighborhood Explorer helps you to research any New York neighborhood (census block group) and get home values, average household income, owner/renter/ occupancy rates, projected growth rates, boundary maps, comparisons to other communities, and much more.

Simply mark a spot on a state map and you'll have your results within 3-seconds!

New York Neighborhood Explorer


New York History

New York State Flower
New York State Flower - Rose

The area of New York was part of the original territory of the United States. When originally chartered in 1664, it included a much larger area. A portion was sold to create New Jersey in 1664, and title claims were ceded in 1682 to Delaware and Pennsylvania. In 1780, New York ceded area to the United States that became part of the Northwest Territory in 1787. New York ratified the U.S. Constitution on July 26, 1788; it was the 11th of the original 13 states to join the Union. In 1791, New York consented to the statehood separation of Vermont; in 1792, it sold area along Lake Erie (the Erie Triangle) to Pennsylvania, to assume generally the same boundary as the present state.

Census data for New York are available beginning with the 1790 census. The 1790 census data do not include population included in present-day Pennsylvania or Vermont. These areas were enumerated as parts of those states, although the Erie Triangle and all of the state of Vermont legally were part of New York at the time of the census.

New York Geographical Areas

See: Geographic Terms & Concepts

Counties & County Equivalents

Interactive Map of New York Counties | Static Overview Map of New York Counties

There are 62 counties in New York.  The five counties that comprise New York city (Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond) are governmentally consolidated with the city.  The remaining 57 counties are functioning governmental units, each governed by a board of supervisors, county legislature, board of representatives, a legislative board, or a board of legislators.


County Subdivisions

There are 1,023 county subdivisions in New York known as minor civil divisions (MCDs).  There are 932 towns with functioning, but not necessarily active governmental units.  East Rochester, Mount Kisco, and Scarsdale towns are coextensive with a single incorporated place and have joint MCD/place governments.  Green Island and Harrison towns are coextensive with a single incorporated place and have separate active township governments.  Each town is governed by a town supervisor or town manager and a town council or town board.

The five boroughs that comprise New York city (one borough in each of the five counties) are not considered to be functioning governmental units.  There are 61 cities in New York that are independent of MCDs and serve as 62 county subdivisions.  There are 14 county subdivisions comprised of American Indian reservations.  American Indian areas have a special legal status regarding their relationship to state and county government and are treated by the Census Bureau as county subdivision equivalents for the portion of the reservation within each county. 

Minor civil divisions are legally incorporated municipal corporations within the state.  They provide a range of services to their residents and are empowered to tax property within their boundaries to raise revenue.  Villages in New York are places dependent within towns and are not treated as minor civil divisions, with the exception of the five town-village governments. 

In addition, there are 10 undefined MCDs that consist entirely of water.

Places (Incorporated Cities, Towns & Census Designated Places (CDPs))

New York State Bird
New York State Bird - Eastern Bluebird

New York has 1,189 places; 617 incorporated places and 572 census designated places (CDPs).  The incorporated places consist of 62 cities and 555 villages.  Cities are independent of any town or American Indian reservation.  Villages are dependent within county subdivision.  New York city is coextensive with the five boroughs (MCDs).  Green Island, East Rochester, Harrison, Mount Kisco, and Scarsdale villages are coextensive with a single town of the same name and have consolidated place/MCD governments.  Pelham and Pelham Manor villages together are coextensive with a single town, Pelham, in Westchester County. City, town, and village governments have similar powers and perform similar functions.

In New York there is no set progression from village to city status.  Cities independent of other county subdivisions are chartered by the state and there is no minimum population size to become a city. 

Alphabetical List of Cities, Towns, CDPs and Other Populated Places
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q, R | S | T | U, V | W, X, Y, Z

New York Civil Features

New York Civil Features: Political Subdivisions, Native Areas, Land Grants, etc. - sorted by Census Class Codes.

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas

There are 13 Metropolitan and 14 Micropolitan Statistical Areas in New York. NY Metopolitan & Micropolitan Areas

New York ZIP Code Tabulation Areas

There are 1,794 ZIP Code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) in New York. View New York ZIP Codes and ZIP Code Maps.

School Districts

New York has 14 elementary school districts, 3 secondary school districts, and 669 unified school districts.  View New York Public and Private Schools.

Congressional Districts

New York has 27 congressional districts. An interactive map shows the contact information for each Representative as well as the boundaries for each New York district. View Map of New York Congressional Districts.

State Legislative Districts

There are 62 state senate districts and 150 assembly districts in New York.

American Indian Areas

New York has eight federally recognized American Indian reservations. There is one tribal designated statistical area (TDSA). There are also two state recognized reservations.

Other Information Of General Geographic Interest

New York is the only state to have been among the top five most populous states since the first census in 1790. 

New York city has been the nation’s most populous city each decade since 1790. 

Brooklyn was once a separate city; it merged with New York in 1898.

New York Physical, Cultural and Historic Features

  1. New York Physical Features such as lakes, islands, streams, valleys, summits, etc.
  2. New York Cultural Features such as schools, churches, hospitals, parks, dams, reservoirs, etc.
  3. New York Historical Features and New York Historic Landmarks

New York Maps

  • To find a ZIP Code: input the address in the top-left search box of any ZIP Code Map.
  • To find the County: input the address in the top-left search box of the interactive NY map.
  • To find the School Attendance Zone: input the address in the top-left search box of any NY school map

Quick & Easy Ways to...

  1. Get Current Demographic Data for Cities, Towns, and ZIP Codes
  2. View Boundary Maps, for Cities, Towns, and ZIP Codes
  3. Locate Physical, Cultural, and Historical Features

New York Census Data Comparison Tool

Compare New York July 1, 2024 Data
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