Demographics

Chinatown Demographics

Provided by the U.S. Census Bureau

Source: Asian American Federation of New York Census Information Center

Census figures hint that Chinatown is a more vulnerable community than many other New York City neighborhoods. Chinatown is home to 84,840 people, according to the 2000 Census. The majority of Chinatown’s population (54,650 people) is of Asian descent compared with the city’s overall Asian population of 10%. 50,141 of these people are foreign born, comprising about 59% of Chinatown’s population. This means that Chinatown remains a neighborhood of immigrants. Most of these immigrants are recent arrivals and are often unable to speak English. Partly for that reason, they are usually able to obtain jobs only within the Chinatown community, often working in restaurant, the now fading garment industry, or in retail (whether of legal or counterfeit goods). Many of Chinatown’s adults do not have high school diplomas. This creates yet another barrier for these immigrants in obtaining better jobs. Due to this obstacle, Chinatown is predominately a low-income neighborhood, especially compared to other areas of Manhattan. According to the 2000 Census, 13,544 households in Chinatown earned $20,000 or less a year. On the other hand, only 1,950 households in Chinatown earned more than $100,000 a year. This means that many of Chinatown’s residents are living below the poverty level. According to the Asian American Federation of New York Census Information Center, almost one-third of Chinatown’s residents live below the poverty level, compared to the 21 percent of all city residents. Since the Chinatown area boasts some of the highest rents in New York, many Chinatown residents struggle to continue living in the area.