Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1769* | 3,190 | — |
| 1785* | 4,980 | +56.1% |
| 1788* | 5,331 | +7.0% |
| 1797* | 8,056 | +51.1% |
| 1810 | 17,242 | +114.0% |
| 1820 | 27,176 | +57.6% |
| 1830 | 46,082 | +69.6% |
| 1840 | 102,193 | +121.8% |
| 1850 | 116,375 | +13.9% |
| 1860 | 168,675 | +44.9% |
| 1870 | 191,418 | +13.5% |
| 1880 | 216,090 | +12.9% |
| 1890 | 242,039 | +12.0% |
| 1900 | 287,104 | +18.6% |
| 1910 | 339,075 | +18.1% |
| 1920 | 387,219 | +14.2% |
| 1930 | 458,762 | +18.5% |
| 1940 | 494,537 | +7.8% |
| 1950 | 570,445 | +15.3% |
| 1960 | 627,525 | +10.0% |
| 1970 | 593,471 | −5.4% |
| 1980 | 557,515 | −6.1% |
| 1990 | 496,938 | −10.9% |
| 2000 | 484,674 | −2.5% |
| 2010 | 343,829 | −29.1% |
| 2011 | 360,740 | +4.9% |
| Population given for the City of New Orleans, not for Orleans Parish, before New Orleans absorbed suburbs and rural areas of Orleans Parish in 1874. Population for Orleans Parish was 41,351 in 1820; 49,826 in 1830; 102,193 in 1840; 119,460 in 1850; 174,491 in 1860; and 191,418 in 1870. Historical Population Figures |
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According to the 2010 Census, 343,829 people and 189,896 households were in New Orleans. The racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 60.2% African American, 33.0% White, 2.9% Asian (1.7% Vietnamese, 0.3% Indian, 0.3% Chinese, 0.1% Filipino, 0.1% Korean), 0.0% Pacific Islander, and 1.7% were people of two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.3% of the population; 1.3% of New Orleans is Mexican, 1.3% Honduran, 0.4% Cuban, 0.3% Puerto Rican, and 0.3% Nicaraguan.
The last population estimate before Hurricane Katrina was 454,865, as of July 1, 2005. A population analysis released in August 2007 estimated the population to be 273,000, 60% of the pre-Katrina population and an increase of about 50,000 since July 2006. A September 2007 report by The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, which tracks population based on U.S. Postal Service figures, found that in August 2007, just over 137,000 households received mail. That compares with about 198,000 households in July 2005, representing about 70% of pre-Katrina population. More recently, the Census Bureau revised upward its 2008 population estimate for the city, to 336,644 inhabitants. In 2010, estimates showed that neighborhoods that did not flood were near 100% of their pre-Katrina populations, and in some cases, exceeded 100% of their pre-Katrina populations.
A 2006 study by researchers at Tulane University and the University of California, Berkeley determined that there are as many as 10,000 to 14,000 illegal immigrants, many from Mexico, currently residing in New Orleans. Janet Murguía, president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza, stated that there could be up to 120,000 Hispanic workers in New Orleans. In June 2007, one study stated that the Hispanic population had risen from 15,000, pre-Katrina, to over 50,000.
A recent article released by The Times-Picayune indicated that the metropolitan area had undergone a recent influx of 5,300 households in the later half of 2008, bringing the population to around 469,605 households or 88.1% of its pre-Katrina levels. While the area's population has been on an upward trajectory since the storm, much of that growth was attributed to residents returning after Katrina. Many observers predicted that growth would taper off, but the data center's analysis suggests that New Orleans and the surrounding parishes are benefiting from an economic migration resulting from the global financial crisis of 2008–2009.
Read more about this topic: New Orleans