Here's Where Midtown, Hell's Kitchen Grew The Most Since 2010

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Reports of Midtown's death were greatly exaggerated, according to the 2020 Census, which found population growth across much of the neighborhood.

An analysis by Patch shows where, exactly, that growth took place. Across the dozens of census tracts that cover Hell's Kitchen, central Midtown and Midtown East, just one lost population in the last decade, the analysis shows.

Zoom in on the map below and click each tract to see the population growth since 2010.

Hell's Kitchen, which gained 13,600 residents since 2010, stands out for its population growth. The tract between 42nd and 46th streets, west of 10th Avenue, went from 3,354 residents in 2010 to 5,959 last year — a gain of more than 4,600 people.

The lone Midtown tract that lost residents — 751, to be exact — spans 10 blocks along the East River between 23rd and 33rd streets. While the reason for the drop isn't clear, there's a possible explanation: it includes the HRA Men's Shelter near Bellevue Hospital, which the city began emptying out last spring as the coronavirus hit. (The census was taken in early April.)

Housing construction spurred growth

Unsurprisingly, the population growth in Midtown and Hell's Kitchen was due in large part to the construction of new housing, the census data shows.

A map showing the net change in the number of housing units in each tract largely matches the population growth map.

For example, the Hell's Kitchen tract that led Midtown with 4,600 new residents also had the most new housing built: a gain of 2,900 homes. That includes 605 West 42nd St., the 61-story skyscraper known as Sky that contains 1,175 apartments — the most of any Manhattan building.

This is part of a series of articles breaking down insights from the 2020 Census in Midtown and Hell's Kitchen. To stay on top of future installments, subscribe to the newsletter from Midtown-Hell's Kitchen Patch

Previous coverage: Hell's Kitchen Gained 13,600 People, Got More Diverse This Decade