Koreans in NYC: A Profile

August 31, 2022

PROFILE MATERIALS

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2016-2020 ACS 5-Year PUMS

2011-2015 ACS 5-Year PUMS

KEY FINDINGS

Asian American Federation

Population

Between 2015 and 2020, the Korean¹ population in NYC shrunk (-5.4%) faster than the City population (-0.6%). In contrast, the Asian²population grew by 6.8%. No other Asian ethnic group in NYC is shrinking as quickly as the Korean population.

During this time, the Korean population moved away from Queens (-3.1 percentage points) and shifted into Brooklyn (+3.4 percentage points).

**Note:** Children are under 18, adults are between 18-64, and seniors are 65+.

Compared to other Asian ethnic groups, the Korean population in NYC has the lowest proportion of children under 18 (14.8%). The share of seniors in the overall Korean population is growing: they now are 2.6 percentage points more of the total Korean population than in 2015.

Immigration, Citizenship, & Mobility

Of the total Korean population in NYC, 34.8% are US-born, 36.1% are naturalized citizens, and 29.1% are non-citizens. The proportion of Koreans with U.S. citizenship by birthright has gone up (+4.9 percentage points) while the proportion of non-citizens has gone down (-6.3 percentage points) since 2015. In contrast, most people in NYC became citizens by birthright (63.3%) and naturalization (20.9%). Some 15.8% of New Yorkers are non-citizens.

**Note:** ‘Past year’ indicates one year from when the survey was conducted.

Only one-third (36.7%) of New Yorkers, in general, are foreign-born, while almost two-thirds (65.2%) of Korean residents are.

8.9% of foreign-born Koreans arrived in the City within five years of the survey, slightly lower than the City’s 9.5% estimate. However, only 2.0% of the overall Korean population had relocated to NYC from abroad within one year of the survey.

The Korean population is quite mobile within New York itself – 10.5% of residents moved within New York within one year of the survey.

Education & English

Education levels for Koreans aged 25 and older in NYC skew towards higher education, with 8.0% holding less than a high school education and over half (59.4%) holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. This is more educated than the City overall, where 17.3% have less than a high school education and only 39.0% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Korean adults are also more educated than the Asian adult population, where 43.7% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

**Note:** “Limited English proficiency” applies to those who do not speak English only and speak English less than very well.

The Korean community’s English proficiency levels are inverse to those of NYC, with 44.2% of Korean over the age of 5 considered to have limited English proficiency (LEP) – about double the City’s 22.4% rate. The LEP rate is lower for Korean children (5+ but under 18) at 18.9% but significantly higher for Korean seniors (age 65+) at 87.8%.

Income & Poverty

Korean New Yorkers have average per capita and family median incomes, and above-average household median incomes compared to New York City residents.

**Note:** Near poverty is above 100% but below 200% of the poverty threshold. Children are under 18, adults are between 18-64, and seniors are 65+.

Korean poverty rates are below-average compared to both NYC and Asian populations. However, Korean seniors live in poverty (25.7%) at a higher rate than City seniors (17.9%).

Benefits & Health

Korean households³ are enrolled in SNAP at a lower rate than both New York City households overall and Asian households.

The Affordable Care Act has significantly reduced the number of uninsured in NYC, and the Korean population is no exception. Between 2015 and 2020, 61.5% fewer Korean people were uninsured. Even with this increase, the Korean population still has the highest rate of uninsured people (9.7%) among Asian ethnic groups. The remaining population is enrolled in private insurance (65.8%) and public insurance (25.2%).

A much lower percentage of the Korean population is enrolled in government-assisted health insurance compared to both the general NYC and Asian populations.

Employment

**Note:** Civilian labor force participation rate is the count of civilians employed and unemployed over the total labor force (age 16 and over, including those in the military).

Korean labor force participation rates are above-average for both male and female workers.

**Note:** Calculated over the civilian labor force.

Korean unemployment rates are lower than City rates across the board.

Korean employees are much more likely to be self-employed (13.0%) than both the overall (9.8%) and Asian (10.7%) populations. This higher rate is driven by both male and female Korean self-employed employees.

Over half (59.1%) of the Korean labor force is employed by five industries. The highest percentage of Koreans employed by a single industry is 16.1% in professional services. Within professional services, 18.5% of Koreans work in computer systems design, 14.9% work in legal services, and 13.7% work in advertising.

Housing

Average household size, NYC, 2015 and 2020

Household group	2015	2020
Overall	2.65	2.57
Asian	3.10	2.98
Korean	2.47	2.44

Korean household³ sizes in 2020 have remained about the same as in 2015 (2.44 vs. 2.47) and are slightly smaller than City households (2.44 versus 2.57). In general, average household sizes have decreased in New York City since 2015, and Korean households are no exception.

**Note:** Overcrowding is defined as more than one person per room.

Korean households³ are overcrowded (8.7%) at about the same rate as City households (8.2%). Compared to other Asian ethnic groups, Korean households are the least likely to be overcrowded.

Korean households³ own their homes at a lower rate and rent at a higher rate than City and Asian households. While 32.4% of the City households are owned, only 28.3% of Korean households are owned.

**Note:** A household is considered rent burdened if between 30%-50% of household income is spent on gross rent and severely rent burdened if over 50% of household income is spent on gross rent.

Rented Korean households³ tend to be severely rent burdened. 70.9% of rented Korean households are rent burdened in some capacity, with the majority qualifying as severely rent burdened. These rates are slightly below City (72.3% of rented households qualify as rent burdened) and Asian households (75.3%).

Technology

**Note:** A household is considered to own a computer if they own a desktop or laptop, a smartphone, a tablet or other portable wireless computer, or some other type of computer.

Korean households³ report owning a computer at higher rates than Asian and City households.

Korean households³ also report higher internet access rates than Asian and City households.

¹ Korean statistics are for the Korean Alone or in Any Combination category unless otherwise noted.

²Asian statistics are for the Asian Alone or in Any Combination category unless otherwise noted.

³Asian households are led by an Asian householder and can consist of non-Asian persons. Similarly, Korean households are led by a Korean householder and can consist of non-Korean persons.

Technical Notes

Race Categories
Beginning with the Census 2000, the Census Bureau collects data in which respondents were allowed to mark more than one race. For example, 2000 data include results for single race as well as multiple-race responses. “Korean Alone” corresponds to the respondents who reported only Korean and no other race category. “Alone” should be considered the minimum population size in any analysis that uses Census Bureau data.

To be as inclusive as possible, this profile uses “Korean Alone or in Any Combination” numbers where possible. “Alone or in Any Combination” corresponds to the responses (not respondents) that included Korean, either alone or in any combination with other Asian groups or other race categories. If a respondent selected Korean and another racial group (e.g., Korean and black), that individual, while excluded from the “Korean Alone” count, was tallied in the “Alone or in Any Combination” count for Korean and the other racial group. Hence, some overlap in the “In Any Combination” numbers occurred. “Alone or in Any Combination” should be considered the maximum population size in any analysis that uses Census Bureau data.

About This Profile
These profiles were released in August 2022 and are based on the 2015 and 2020 American Community Survey 5-year Public Use Microdata Sample.

This is one of a series of Asian American population profiles prepared by the Asian American Federation Census Information Center (CIC) to increase understanding of the rapidly growing and diverse Asian American population in the New York metropolitan area. Highlighted statistics, including those not found on charts, are sourced via this profile’s detailed data and documentation. Data citations from this profile should include the following acknowledgment: “Data derived from analysis by the Asian American Federation Census Information Center.”

For more information regarding this profile, please contact the Asian American Federation Census Information Center at (646)492-8958 x 221 or linying.he@aafederation.org, or visit our Census Center.

Annie Wang is AAF’s summer 2022 research intern and a master’s student studying International Migration Studies at The Graduate Center, CUNY. You can reach her at awang3@gradcenter.cuny.edu.