Page 11 - 2022 Westchester County Economic Development Guide

If Westchester County were a city, it would be the 10th largest in the nation, dwarfing municipalities like Boston, Atlanta, Denver and Indianapolis. According to the 2020 Census, there are 1,004,457 people living within the County’s borders, representing a 55,000 increase from the 2010 Census.
“I always knew we were a big County, big in culture, big in business, big in life and now also big in population,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “I want to thank Westchester residents for making Westchester count. No one is fleeing this county - they are coming here to be part of Westchester. This Census news continues a trend of good news for Westchester County. Our economy is thriving, businesses both small and large are growing, crime is down, and our vaccination rate is among the highest in the state.”
COMMITTED TO A
TOTAL COUNT
The Census portal opened on March 12, 2020, while the County was beginning to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused the County to pivot activities and outreach efforts to accommodate social distancing and a lockdown.
On April 1, 2019, County Executive Latimer signed an Executive Order and announced the formation of the Westchester County Complete Count Committee to include geographic, ethnic and constituency representa- tives from many of the traditionally hard to count populations. The Complete Count Committees worked with Census advocates, community-based organiza- tions, local municipal Complete Count
“I always knew we were a big County, big in
culture, big in business, big in life and now
also big in population.”
—Westchester County Executive George Latimer
Committees and college students to get the word out about the importance of a full and complete count for the 2020 Census.
CENSUS HIGHLIGHTS
The County has grown by about 130,000 residents since the 1990 Census, representing a nearly 15 percent increase. The population increase since 2010 is the largest in at least four decades.
Data released by the County showed the most significant demographic increase over the past decade was the Hispanic population, which jumped 30 percent to 269,000, an increase of 62,000 residents. The Asian population increased by 27 percent, from 51,123 to 64,907, while Westchester’s Black population grew by 3.5 percent to 131,000. Multiracial residents more than doubled to 31,704.
“We are thriving in the richness of our diversity,” said Business Council of Westchester President and CEO Marsha Gordon. “Our blossoming and increasingly diverse population makes Westchester an ideal setting to establish businesses of all kinds, serving this growing population, and the world.”
“We are thrilled with – though not surprised by – the news of the County’s growth,” said Westchester Office of Economic Development Director Bridget Gibbons. “As the County grows
and evolves, we are working to create an environment that is attractive to businesses of all sizes, structures and types.”
Explore more facts about our County on page 55.
GROWING CITIES
• New Rochelle grew to 3.5 percent to 79,726
• Mount Vernon grew
9.8 percent to 73,893
• Yonkers grew 8.0 percent to 211, 569
• White Plains grew to
4.8 percent to 59,559
WESTCHESTER AT A GLANCE
Under 18: 21.7 percent Men: 49.5 percent
Women: 51.5 percent White: 52.6 percent
Black: 16.7 percent
Latino: 25.5 percent
Asian: 6.5 percent Foreign-Born: 25.5 percent
Source: www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westchestercountynewyork/HSD410219#HSD410219
WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 9
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