NEW YORK — NEW YORK - Bolstered by a huge influx of Hispanic residents, New York City's population grew by 685,714 people over the past decade, surpassing 8 million people for the first time and cementing its place as the most populous city in the nation.
Figures distributed yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau showed that the population of New York City grew by 9.4 percent to stand at 8,008,278. The population surge in the five boroughs of New York City and its adjacent suburbs helped offset significant population drops upstate.
Overall, New York state grew by 5.5 percent, or 986,002 people, to reach a population of 18.9 million people.
Despite the increase in the state's population, New York will lose two of its 31 seats in the House of Representatives.
Census figures showed that New York City held its place as one of the most diverse regions in the country.
Whites constituted the largest racial group, nearly 3.6 million, but the largest gains came in the Hispanic population, which swelled to nearly 2.2 million.
The census showed the city's black population at slightly more than 2.1 million and the Asian population at slightly less than 800,000.
There were 393,959 New Yorkers who identified themselves as multiracial.
The census figures showed quite a different trend for some of the state's other major municipalities.
The population declined in Buffalo to 292,648 (35,475, or minus 10.8 percent); Rochester to 219,773 (11,863, or minus 5.1 percent); Syracuse to 147,306 (16,554, or minus 10.1 percent); Albany to 95,658 (5,424, or minus 5.4 percent); Schenectady to 61,821 (3,745, or minus 5.7 percent).