The population of Manhattan (New York County) is about 1.6 million people , based on the 2020 U.S. Census, with recent estimates keeping it in roughly the same range.

Quick Scoop

Manhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City and also a county (New York County), so population figures for “Manhattan” usually refer to that county-wide number. In the 2020 Census, New York City’s data show Manhattan with a population a little over 1.6 million residents, making it the most densely populated county in the United States. Its density is over 70,000 people per square mile, far higher than any other large U.S. county.

If you see slightly different numbers online (for example 1.58–1.65 million), those usually come from updated annual estimates or projections that adjust the 2020 baseline but do not drastically change the overall picture.

In everyday terms, you can think of Manhattan as a narrow island packed with well over one and a half million residents living, working, and commuting in an area smaller than many suburbs.

Tiny table of the key fact (HTML)

Area Approx. population Notes
Manhattan (New York County) ≈1.6 million Based on 2020 Census with recent estimates in the same range
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.