Photo by N. Bower

By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

Nov. 8, 2023: I’m sure you recall when the federal government, Westchester County and even those of us in Village government bombarded you with alerts to fill out the 2020 census form so that the Village could be accurately counted as well as the state and the county.

We estimate for every Bronxville resident not counted we stand to lose at least $1,000 each year in subsidies for the full 10-year period before the next constitutionally mandated census is to be conducted in 2030.

When all was said and done, our headcount probably was only deficient in a small number of our senior citizens. Many of you were quite wary of opening your door during Covid to a stranger, as well as concerned about releasing information about your status, perhaps living alone with an address certain attached to the data and this was quite understandable. In fact, the 2020 data is the slowest on record to roll out because of the increased risk of the information being divulged due to AI. The government has been taking its time encrypting the data, so it is less easily compromised. 

It is important to remember that the goal of the census is a collection of headcounts, age, racial makeup and housing units, not income, job status, or employment fields which are actually covered by what is called the American Community Survey (ACS), which digs much deeper into the lifestyle and economic circumstances of those counted. Using just the census data, the following facts were gleaned, not only about Villagers, but our county as a whole.

For the first time in a census, the population of Westchester County is over 1 million on a steady trend upward since the 1920 census when they were 300,000 county residents.

With a slight dip in the 70s and 80s in urban areas including Yonkers and Mount Vernon, the trend reversed itself in the 2020 census with the Yonkers’ population increasing by 15,000 surpassing the 200,000-resident mark, making it the third largest city in New York out populating Rochester. Mount Vernon also saw an increase of 7000 residents.

The 1 million Westchester residents represents a 5% increase since the 2010 census and that percentage number is also the exact increase in housing units.

To put it in context, Brooklyn’s population in the same 10 years went up 9.2% while the counties of Ulster, Dutchess and Putnam saw small declines.

Westchester’s population is more diverse than ever and for the first time in the history of the county, the white population is not a majority, registering just under 50% in contrast with the 2010 census number which counted 57% of county residents as white.

The major increase comes in our Hispanic population with those of Dominican descent showing the most significant increase in movement to Westchester with 14,000 new Dominican residents in Yonkers alone.

Mount Vernon remains the only majority black community in the county with Peekskill and New Rochelle following. The largest concentration of Asian residents live in the Scarsdale/Edgemont area.

The median age in the county went up 3% to 41.1 years recording the first time ever that county residents have a median age over 40. Many feel that this is a positive sign as many folks are choosing to age in place. As a result, one-fourth of Westchester residents are over the age of 60.

In contrast, the county lost 5,000 residents in the newborn to five-year-old bandwidth. This was the complete opposite for nearby Rockland County where that age cohort grew exponentially from 2010 to 2020. As you might surmise with no surprise, 80% of the housing stock in Westchester County was built before 1979 with the greatest concentration of new housing stock built in Yonkers and New Rochelle.

The following information was extracted from the American Community Services (ACS) as well as the Census. The ACS is an annual demographic survey conducted under the aegis of the Census Bureau.

It gathers information previously only contained in the long form of the decennial census. Data retrieved includes ancestry, citizenship, educational attainment, migration, employment, disability and housing characteristics.

The data is used by many stakeholders to allocate funding, track shifting demographics and plan for emergencies. It is sent to 295,000 addresses monthly or 3.5 million households yearly.

The following information is Bronxville specific which I extracted from both the 2020 census and the American Community Survey.

We have a population of 6,656 which has pretty much stayed static for the last 20 years with 2,505 housing units - 60% single-family homes and 40% apartments, co-ops or condos.

The median age of Villagers is 37 1/2 versus 40 statewide while 55.6% of us are employed. Our over 65 population at 16% is slightly lower than the state average of 18% senior citizens but the New York number vis a vis national numbers is decreasing as many seniors are fleeing the state for lower taxed homes.

Veterans account for 3% of Villagers in comparison with 4% statewide, and less than 1% of us have no health coverage. Statewide 14% of New Yorkers have an income that qualifies at the poverty level versus 7.5% in the Village.

In terms of ethnic composition, 28% of Villagers share Irish ancestry, 14% Italian ancestry, 12% English and 11% German. 13% of Villagers were foreign born versus 23% statewide and 19% of our neighbors speak a language other than English at home versus 31% statewide.

The average income in the Village last year was $168,917 with family income averaging $248,571 versus non-family income at $101,250. The highest per capita income in New York State is $200,000 per household in the Village of Scarsdale.

In the over 30 cohort, 75% of Villagers have college degrees.

The above is just a snapshot of data now available to the Village and has proved invaluable in decision making and grant applications. We ask if you are ever sent these federal forms to fill them out as the data is of great value.