The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It is the northernmost borough and is part of Bronx County, one of the most densely-populated counties in the nation. The total area of the borough is 57 square miles, making it just the fourth-largest borough by area. The Bronx has a population of 1,471,160 people as of 2017, and it is the fourth most populous borough in New York. Its population density is over 35,000 people per square mile, making it the third most densely populated of the five total boroughs.
Breaking down the population by race shows that 45.8% of the borough’s population is white. Over 43% of the population is black of African American, over 4% is Asian, 3% are Native American, and over 3% are mixed race. Over 54% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin. In the 1940s, over 98% of the population of the Bronx was white. This number has dropped dramatically and now, the borough is considered to be one of the most diverse areas in the nation. Over 31% of the population was born in another country. Over 55% of the population speaks a language other than English at home. Only about 44.3% of the population speaks English at home. Over 45% speak Spanish.
Nearly 30% of the population is under age 18. The largest age group is the 25 to 44 group, which makes up over 30% of the population. There are more females than males living in the Bronx, with 87 males for every 100 females. About 30.7% of the total population residing in the Bronx lives below the federal poverty line.
The population of the Bronx was last estimated to be 1.47 million as of 2017. This reflects growth of over 6% since the last census taken in 2010. The population has seen significant growth since the early 19th century but did see a steep drop in population between 1970 and 1980. However, the population has since rebounded and has not almost reached the peak that was achieved at the time of the 1970 census. Looking back over the last several decades and the growth that has been recorded indicates that this populous borough still has more growth ahead in its future.