Population of New York 2014
Based on the total number of births, total number of deaths, net migration rate, the population of 2013, and the previous growth rate, the current population of New York is estimated to be about 19,742,832, which makes up about 6.14% of the country’s total population. As a result, New York is currently the 4th most populous state in the United States, behind Florida, but ahead of Illinois. As of July 1, 2013, the population of New York was estimated to be about 19,651,127. Thus, since last July, the population has grown by 91,705 or by a growth rate of 0.47%. The 2010 Census indicated that the population was 19,378,102. So, since the last census, the population has grown by 364,730 or by a growth rate of 1.88%. The 2000 Census indicated that that population was 18,976,457. So, since that census, the population has grown by 766,375 or by a growth rate of 4.04%. Based on the total land area and the total population of the state, the population density of New York is approximately 418.36 people per square mile or 161.53 people per square kilometer.
Government of New York 2014
The New York State Constitution is the basis for the state government, which is made up of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The Governor of New York is the head of the executive and receives assistance from the Lieutenant Governor. Since 2011, the Governor of New York has been Andrew Cuomo, a member of the Democratic Party, and the Lieutenant Governor has been Robert Duffy, also a member of the Democratic Party. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected on the same ticket. The legislative branch consists of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. Currently, the Senate has 63 members, but normally the number in the Senate varies. But, the Assembly always has 150 members. Not only does the Lieutenant Governor serve in the executive branch, but he also serves in the legislative branch as the President of the Senate. So, Robert Duffy is the current President of the Senate. The Speaker of the Assembly is Sheldon Silver, a member of the Democratic Party; Silver has served as the Speaker since February of 1994. The judicial branch is known as the New York State Unified Court System. The highest court of appeal is the New York Court of Appeals; however, the highest court in terms of felony trials is the New York State Supreme Court. The largest local court system in the state is the New York City Court System. Lastly, since the 1960 Presidential Election, the state has elected a Republican presidential candidate only three times. Thus, while the state has some Republican populations, the state tends to lean mainly Democratic.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) Rights in New York 2014
As part of the results from a survey published by Gallup in 2013, about 3.8% of the population of New York identifies as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Thus, based on the current estimated population of the state, about 750,228 citizens of New York identify as such. On June 24, 2011, same-sex marriages were legalized in New York with the signing of the Marriage Equality Act and it became the fifth-state to do so. According to the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, the legalization of same-sex marriages created about $260 million in economic impact and $16 million in city revenues. As of May 2012, the New York Appellate Division ruled that referring to someone as gay or homosexual is no longer considered defamation. Lastly, the New York State Legislature has been working to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Bill, which would add gender identity and expression to the list of ways by which a person cannot be discriminated.
Health in New York 2014
Based on the United Health Foundation’s Annual Report of America’s Health Rankings in 2013, New York’s overall health ranks 15th in the nation. The state has one of the lowest obesity rates in the country at 23.6% of the adult population. It also has a low prevalence of smoking among its adult population. There is high per capita public health funding, along with a ready availability of primary care physicians and dentists. The state has also witnessed a decrease in air pollution over the course of the past five years and a decrease in deaths as a result of cardiovascular disease over the past ten years. Also, only 14% of New York citizens are uninsured. However, the state has low immunization coverage among children. Lastly, while 54.6% of adults of the ages 25 years or older with at least a high school degree claim that they have very good health, only 25.1% of those adults with less than such an education claim to have very good health.
Education in New York 2014
As of 2013, 84.9% of the population has a high school degree, while only 33.4% of the population has a four-year college degree. About 8% of teenagers from the ages of 16 to 19 are not attending school and are not working. Also, the high school graduation rate is 76%. StudentsFirst is an organization that evaluates the performance and productivity of education systems throughout the country. On a 4.0 scale, the state of New York received an overall grade point average of 1.29, which ranks 28th in the nation. The organization ranks the states in three categories: elevating the teaching profession, empowering parents, and spending wisely and governing well. New York is ranked 26th in terms of elevating the teaching profession. The state has a form of an evaluation system in place for principals and teachers that rates them on a four-tier rating system, including student growth. However, the state still rewards teachers with pay increases based on seniority and degree attainment instead of solely on performance. New York ranks 37th when it comes to empowering the parents. If the parents ask for a final quality rating of a teacher, then they can receive the report. However, there is no quality report for each school. The schools also do not notify the parents if their student is under the instruction of an ineffective teacher. Lastly, New York ranks 5th when it comes to spending wisely and governing well. The state has the ability to intervene in low-performing schools and districts in order to help them recover. However, the state does not do much in order to make sustainable and attractive retirement and pension plans available for the teachers.
Poverty in New York 2014
The overall poverty rate of New York is 15.9% and the overall extreme poverty rate is 7.1%. The child poverty rate is 23%, while the senior poverty rate is 17%. Also, 15.6% of New York women claim to live in poverty. 36% of single-parents families with children live in poverty. The minimum wage in New York is $8.00 per hour. 15.7% of jobs in New York are considered to be low-wage and 30.2% of low-income families work. Lastly, over 1.1 million children in New York receive food stamps.